Bound by Embers
by ArticPoppy
Summary: A peculiar-looking student with an amazing ability joins True Cross Academy as an exwire. But her mythological powers soon prove to be more of a curse than a gift.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! So ummm this is not my first story but its the first one I've written in a really long time. I wanted to see what people thought and if I should keep going. I tried to keep everyone in character but I'm not very good at it heehee. Any feedback or suggestions is always appreciated. Thanks to you xoxo

* * *

If Rin could have one wish, it would be that Shura's boobs were no longer affected by gravity or the laws of physics. Each time they sparred, his attention was invariably (and embarrassingly) drawn to her jiggling flesh, throwing off his aim. He normally snapped out of it after she smacked him around a few times, but, still, why did they have to be so distracting? He wasn't even attracted to her—his eyes were just drawn to their movements.

It was incredibly frustrating.

"Are you paying attention?" She struck him on the top of his head with her practice sword, immediately bringing him out of his stupor.

Rin lunged and, with a shout, brought his wooden sword down at an angle. He wielded it with both hands, putting all his strength into what he hoped would be a final blow—a rookie mistake. She danced out of range, and he hit the grass hard, leaving him momentarily dazed.

Shura immediately executed a follow-through attack, striking him across the face as she twirled out of her dodge. She grinned at her success—that was going to leave a rather colorful bruise.

But Rin recovered quickly, blocking as she slashed at him again. He went on the offensive, trying to land a hit before she had the chance to escape. He used the sword with one hand this time, giving him better balance and agility.

She parried and countered with a swift riposte aimed at his chest. He was faster than she expected, and just barely managed to clumsily block her sword before it left him another bruise. But the blow made him stagger, and Shura used the opportunity to unleash a volley of attacks, forcing him back toward the treeline. He was so focused on blocking her that, by the time he realized what she was doing, he had already backed himself into a corner.

Rin glanced behind him and cursed under his breath. His back was against a tree and he knew Shura's extraordinary reach gave him little room to maneuver. He held his sword out in front of him, ready to block whatever she had in mind. But she didn't attack yet. Like always, she wanted to savor her victory over him.

"Giving up already?" She twirled her sword mockingly in her right hand, and that gave Rin an idea.

"I'm _not_ giving up!" He feinted to his left and then dodged right. Shura fell for it, leaning to her right in preparation. He dashed by her, just out of reach of her sword. When she turned around, it was her who was now in the corner.

She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth, disappointed in herself. "Not bad."

Rin responded with another two-handed lunge, bringing his sword up this time. He was learning, but he was still too predictable.

Shura boldly leaped into his attack and rolled, coming within an inch of Rin's sword. She came up from her roll and spun on her toes, using her momentum to power her swing. She struck Rin hard on his upper back, sending him stumbling forward and into the tree. He lost his balance and fell, all the air knocked out of his lungs.

Checkmate.

Shura dug the tip of her practice sword into the wet grass and leaned on it. Despite how experienced she was, sparring with Rin always left her exhausted. "You're too reckless," she said, though not unkindly. "You're trying too hard to score a hit and it's making you predictable. A smart demon can look at the position of your feet and know exactly how you're going to move before you do."

"Ow..." he groaned, rolling onto his side. "Ahh... Did you have to hit so hard?"

She crouched down and leaned over him with a smile. "Consider that punishment for thinking you could beat me." She patted his shoulder, urging him to his feet. "Let's go, tough guy. I'll fetch you some ice for that bruise."

* * *

Shura had picked the outskirts of a little open field not far from the dormitory for their match tonight, where the breeze was steady and refreshing. Here, they had plenty of space to practice, and the surrounding trees proved to create the perfect, natural arena.

Rin reclined against the tree that had caused his defeat, a cool towel folded over his forehead and an ice pack pressed to his cheek. The warm wind blew in his face, carrying with it the faint scents of the nearby woods. Shura sat beside him, sipping a can of beer. Silence enveloped them, peaceful and comforting.

Rin closed his eyes and rested his head back against the rough bark of the tree. "Reckless, huh?" He sighed.

"You need to be more patient," Shura smiled at him. "We can start working on that tomorrow."

"T-tomorrow? Can't I have a break?"

"Nope." She casually sipped her drink.

He groaned, exasperated. Despite his reaction, Rin found that he enjoyed the lessons he had with Shura, even if some of them were a little frustrating. It helped him relieve stress and made him feel stronger, more comfortable with who he was.

Rin sat up straight and dug three small candles out of his pocket. Shura watched, surprised, as he lined them up in front of him. "You're still doing that?"

"Yep!" He flashed her a toothy grin. "Watch this." His eyes fell to the candles and, a second later, the two outermost wicks burst to life. The field around them was bathed in a gentle, blue light. "I can even do it while I pick my nose. Wanna see?"

She frowned in disgust. "No, thanks. I'll just take your word for it." He laughed and settled back down against the tree. The two lasped into a comforting silence, until Shura, her voice taut with worry, nudged him roughly with her elbow. "Hey, Rin... Do you see that?"

"Huh?" He looked up, curious. In the distance, startlingly obvious against the stark night sky, was a bright red dot. Rin narrowed his eyes, struggling to make sense of what appeared to be an indistinguishable mess of color. As he watched, it drew closer, becoming more distinct. Belatedly, Rin realized that it was headed directly toward them.

And fast.

It was a large, red bird with long, beautiful feathers flowing behind it. But something was clearly wrong—it couldn't fly in a straight line and was descending rapidly toward the earth. It beat its wings frantically and writhed in the air, desperately struggling to gain altitude. Its efforts were in vain; its thrashing only seemed to be making its descent faster.

"Whoa!" Rin ducked as it passed by overhead, flying dangerously low to them. It crashed loudly into something a moment later. "What the hell was that!?" Rin stood, confused and stunned.

Shura ignored him and scrambled to her feet, following the bird back to the dormitory.

"H-hey! Wait for me!" Rin stepped on the candles to snuff them and hurried to catch up.

A concerned Yukio was there to meet them. He looked silly equipped with a handgun while wearing his pajamas, but now wasn't the appropriate time for Rin to be making fun of his brother. "Where did it land?" Shura asked, assuming the bird's hectic landing was what caused him to draw his weapon.

"On the storage shed." Yukio led them around to the side of the dormitory, where an old, unused shed sat in the shadow of the building.

Much of the rubble had fallen harmlessly off to the side, but one of the larger, metal sheets that had once made up the roof had collapsed on top of it. Rin could see vibrant, red feathers speckled with yellow and white poking out from underneath.

It wasn't moving.

Shura stayed back, inspecting the debris from a distance. A bird of that size was clearly a demon, and, considering that it was most likely in a state of feral panic, she didn't want to antagonize it by approaching. "What should we do?" She directed the question toward Yukio, eyes never leaving the trapped bird, a steady hand on the tattoo above her breasts. If it decided to attack them, she would be ready.

Yukio shook his head, lowering his gun. This was such a strange situation. Demons didn't normally fall out of the sky and land on decrepit buildings like this. Perhaps someone had sent it here. But who? And why?

"Should we call Mephisto?"

Rin couldn't believe what he was seeing—they were just standing there, calmly discussing what to do while the bird remained trapped under a pile of rubble. "What's wrong with you two?" he asked, disgusted. "Someone's hurt!" He dropped his wooden sword and rushed over to pull the debris off the injured bird.

"Rin, don't!" But neither of them made an effort to stop him.

Using his demonic strength, Rin lifted the sheet of metal, tossed it aside, and recoiled at the sight. It was immediately obvious what had made the bird fall out of the sky. A crash, even at that speed, wouldn't have caused wounds like this. The demon cracked open its eyes and wheezed, grateful. He knelt down to help it, but its injuries were too severe; attempting to move it would only hasten its death.

Shura crouched down beside him. "Poor thing. Looks like it got a nasty beating..."

A 'nasty beating' was an understatement. It had practically been mutilated.

Large patches of feathers were missing from its body and Rin could see deep cuts on its skin. One of its legs had been completely torn off, the other was mangled beyond recognition, and it even had a chunk missing from its side, exposing fat and muscle. The blood blended almost seamlessly with its vibrant red plumage.

Suddenly, it raised its head, eyes locked onto the first person it had seen: Rin. "P-please," it gasped, barely able to speak. It had a strangely feminine voice. Rin scooted closer to it, trying to make out its words. "Please," it repeated, louder. "Haren... Find...in True Cross... Tell him," the bird stopped and shuddered violently.

Rin gently placed a hand on its wing to ease its trembling. "Tell him what?" he asked, urging it to continue.

Its eyes drooped shut, but its message was so important it fought with all its remaining strength to stay conscious. "The door," it paused to draw in another shaky breath. "It's open..."

"Door? What door?" It didn't respond. Rin leaned down to check if it was still breathing. "Hey!" He shook it, hoping that would bring it back. "What door!?"

But the bird could hold on no longer, and died quietly under Rin's comforting touch.

* * *

Three days later, Rin sat at his desk in the room he shared with his brother, mindlessly staring out the window and ignoring the manga book in front of him. Yukio tucked his phone away and frowned at Rin's unusually quiet demeanor. He was still searching for the bird's master, but his efforts so far had proved to be fruitless—he didn't know the demon's name, and all he had to identify it was a long, red feather taken from its corpse. Naturally, none of the exorcists he questioned recognized it.

Yukio sighed softly to himself and stood, catching Rin's attention. "We're getting a new student today," he said, pulling his exorcist jacket off its hanger. "I have to pick up some paperwork from Mephisto. Don't be late for class."

Rin jumped to his feet with newfound energy. "Can I come with you?"

 _Great_... Yukio was afraid he would ask that.

"Listen, Nii-san," he began, forcing himself to sound unsympathetic. "This needs to stop. You don't have time to waste on frivolous things like chasing down a familiar's master."

All the enthusiasm dropped from Rin's face. "It's not a waste of time."

"Yes, it is." Yukio paused, trying to figure out how to convince his brother to be done with this nonsense. "We don't know the first thing about this demon. What if its master is on the other side of the world?"

The answer seemed obvious to him. "The bird said he was in True Cross. If not, I'll just send a letter with the feather."

"And if its another demon?"

Rin merely shrugged, unconcerned. "Then I'll figure something out."

"You have more important things to worry about right now, Nii-san!" Yukio gritted his teeth, frustrated. Why didn't his brother ever listen to him? "What about the Exorcist Exam? And your training with Shura?"

"I can still study while I look for it!" he snapped, as stubborn as ever. "I'm not going to give up!"

" _Why_? It doesn't have anything to do with us!"

"Because it asked me!" Rin clenched his fists at his sides, clearly upset. "It was its dying wish! I won't ignore it!"

Yukio shook his head. This argument would go no where—both boys were too stubborn to give in to the other. "Fine." Yukio, being more mature than Rin, eventually conceded, if only to end their yelling. "But, after you ask Mephisto, you head straight to class."

Rin's bright smile immediately returned. "Yes sir!"

* * *

The demon king looked up with a grin as the twins entered his office unannounced. "Ah, Rin! What a pleasant surprise!" Yukio sat in one of the leather chairs while Rin approached his desk. "How goes your training?"

Rin flushed. "I, uh...still can't beat Shura," he muttered.

"Oh dear. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, I came to ask you about this." He pulled out the feather and handed it over.

Mephisto accepted it and twirled it between his fingers. The feather was long and wide with a coarse, stiff texture. It was mostly red, but dotted with yellow and white near the shaft. The ends of the feather quickly faded from a dark, vibrant red to a lighter, more neon shade. He hummed thoughtfully and rested his chin in a hand as he examined it.

Rin watched him closely for any signs of recognition. "I'm trying to find the name of the demon. It...died a few days ago."

He shook his head solemnly and passed it back to Rin. "I'm not as familiar with beasts as I'd like to admit. Perhaps you could ask Amaimon? He's surprisingly knowledgeable about Gehenna's wildlife."

Rin made a sour face at the suggestion. Despite how determined he was to find the familiar's master, he was even _more_ determined to avoid Amaimon. "Uh, no. I can find it on my own." He carefully tucked it back into his pocket. "So, who's the new student?"

"Ah! Her name is—"

"Nii-san." Yukio's firm voice silenced Mephisto mid-sentence. "We had a deal, remember?"

"But..." he stopped himself and sighed. "Right—I should study a little before class."

Yukio smiled approvingly. "I'll be right there." Once his brother was gone, he turned back to Mephisto, his expression no longer friendly. "I hope you have a good explanation as to why I have to pick this file up in person."

The demon king dug out the student's paperwork from underneath the mess decorating his desk. "I wanted to warn you." He slid the folder over to him. "Miss Evelyn isn't exactly...normal."

"Is she a half-breed?" Coming from a man of Mephisto's...caliber, that could mean anything.

"Something like that." He leaned back in his chair and gestured to the file, inviting Yukio to skim through it.

He complied.

Her file only contained a single page: a standard questionnaire every student had to fill out when they arrived at True Cross Academy.

Sachiko Evelyn. Fifteen years old. Birth date June third. Blood type XA negative, (that was concrete proof she had demonic ancestry.) Doctor meister. Homeschooled previously...

He flipped it over, disappointed to find more short, vague responses. Judging from her overly succinct paperwork, Sachiko seemed to be the epitome of normal. He lowered the paper and raised a brow at Mephisto, uncertain of what to think.

"Well?" Yukio shrugged, and the demon simply grinned, evidently amused by his reaction. "Miss Evelyn is a cross-breed."

" _Cross-breed_?" Yukio repeated it absently to himself, his face clouded as he struggled to find the words that would properly convey his thoughts.

Cross-breeds were similar to half-breeds in that they were both a mixture of human and demon. However, while half-breeds generally resulted from high-level demons who had the ability to take on a human form, cross-breeds resulted from...well, beasts. There was no kinder way to word it. One of Sachiko's parents was a low-level demon that knew how to feed itself and nothing more. The subspecies was also notorious for their lack of empathy and intelligence—and for being utterly uncontrollable and undeniably violent. But this was simply what he had heard from other exorcists; he had never actually met one before.

The Order made it clear they would not tolerate cross-breeds among their ranks. They considered them abominations—an unnatural mix of human and animal. Perhaps having one at his school was Mephisto's way of mocking them. Of course, Yukio could never be certain of anything when it came to Mephisto.

"I know what you're thinking," he continued in response to Yukio's silence, "but I assure you that _most_ of the rumors you've herd about cross-breeds are not true."

"Most?" That meant either the Order was spreading lies, or Mephisto was. Neither thought was comforting.

"Miss Evelyn is indeed a little...empty-headed," he explained gently, "but she is very well-mannered."

Yukio turned his attention back to the paper in his hands. "Why, exactly, are you letting her attend cram school so late in the year?" The exam was only five months away and, according to Sachiko's file, she had no prior exorcist training. Even if Mephisto was lying and she was some kind of undiscovered genius, there was no way she could catch up in time to pass.

"She approached me and begged me to accept her application. How could I deny a beautiful, young girl the right to a proper education?"

He glanced up from her file, suspicious. Something mischievous was seething just behind that condescending smile. "This doesn't have anything to do with Rin, does it?"

"Of course not!" he chuckled, voice saturated with innocent surprise. "I have absolutely no intentions of hindering Rin's chances of becoming an exorcist."

Yukio closed the file with an audible _snap_. He had no choice but to trust the demon king. For now. "I'll keep an eye on her," he said, "but I am not responsible for her if she fails."

"Fair enough." Mephisto waved a hand, dismissing him. "Let me know if Rin happens to find the name of that demon he's searching for."

Yukio stood, bowed slightly in respect, and left, closing the door quietly behind him. Not a moment passed before crumbs unceremoniously landed on Mephisto's desk and an incessant crunching sound filled the room. He glared up at his brother, who was, somehow, hanging precariously from the ceiling, (and upside down no less.) His arms were filled with food and various Japanese souvenirs.

"Fenghuang," he said suddenly, his mouth full of salty snacks.

"Dear brother," Mephisto started, his voice tense and dangerous. "I appreciate you trying to share your lunch with me, but could you do it somewhere else?" He brushed half-chewed crumbs off the shoulder of his fine suit.

"That was a tail feather from Fenghuang."

"Amaimon," he growled, annoyed at being ignored.

Amaimon eventually obeyed his brother and moved to his favorite spot in front of the television. "Do you think Moloch's door is open now?" He glanced over his shoulder at the older demon.

"Without a doubt." Mephisto spoke with unveiled delight, a devilish smirk stretching slowly across his face. "Only time will tell what our younger brother will do. Will he allow a vicious, ancient demon to freely roam the mountainside, or will he let innocent, young Sachiko Evelyn fall to her fate?"

Amaimon, as aloof as always, shoved a handful of chips into his mouth and turned back to the TV. "Mhm."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter twoooooo. I tried to make my oc unquie and avoid cliché stuff but meh. I also really like Bon hes my favorite. Thanks for readinggggg xoxo

* * *

Yukio caught his first glimpse of her when he rounded the corner to the hallway where first year classes were held. From a distance, she looked like a normal girl with outlandishly long, white hair; but, as he approached, her cross-breed characteristics became obvious.

What he originally thought to be hair was actually a massive collection of long feathers of varying widths, (some were as thin as a pencil while others were thicker than her arm.) Her real hair ended just above her shoulders and melded seamlessly into plumage that fell all the way to the floor. Two of the largest feathers, (one on either side of her spine), had a beautiful, circular pattern on the ends consisting of various red and yellow hues. The surrounding feathers were decorated with similar splashes of color, though none were as extravagant.

She wore the Academy's uniform, but had decided to go with the long-sleeved sweater girls normally wore in the winter months rather than the cooler, shorter blouse. She had heavy, black leggings under her pink skirt and a sheer turtleneck under her sweater, completely concealing her throat and neck.

Her outfit was utterly inappropriate for the warm weather.

But it wasn't Yukio's place to criticize a girl's sense of fashion. He stopped short of her and cleared his throat to get her attention.

Startled by the sound, she jumped and whirled around to face him. She pressed her hands tightly to her chest, as if she feared her heart would burst.

Yukio recoiled slightly at the sight of her face.

Her skin was covered with strange patches of gray fur. Horizontal lines of it trailed from the top of her cheekbones, down the sides of her face, and along the length of her neck, eventually disappearing into her turtleneck. Both of her ears were long, pointed, and furry, (though the right seemed to have more fur than the left.) She even had two thin feathers extending from the ends of her gray eyebrows. They were a few inches longer than her face and stuck out from under her bangs. Tiny, black feathers outlined her eyes, accentuating the animalistic yellow of her irises.

She stood a little over five feet four inches in height and had a frame that could only be described as...well, flat. She was very unfeminine for a teenaged girl, lacking curves or any definite shape to her body. Even her face had some boyish characteristics.

She lowered her head, embarrassed by her reaction. Yukio, feeling guilty, immediately snapped out of his daze and regained his composure. "I'm sorry. You're Sachiko Evelyn, correct?" She nodded once without looking up. "I'm Yukio Okumura—your demon pharmaceuticals teacher. Welcome to True Cross Academy." He held out his hand for her to shake.

Sachiko reached a hand out to him on impulse, but then hesitated. Yukio could see small patches of fur covering her palm and fingers with no distinct pattern. So _that_ was why she wore so much clothing.

Instead of shaking his hand, Sachiko stepped back and curtsied. "Thank you for accepting me," she said with practiced sweetness, sounding far calmer than she appeared.

Yukio relaxed and smiled at her, relieved to discover Mephisto was correct about her being well-mannered. "Let's introduce you." He opened the door and gestured for her to follow.

She took a cautious step forward, but froze when she heard voices.

"Argh! Yukio, help! He's got me in a choke hold!"

"I thought you were supposed to be studying."

"Uh... I-I was! But then Bon called me lazy!"

"Because you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Rin, that's enough."

"Wha... _Me_!? He started it!"

"Just sit down."

"But—"

"Sit."

Sachiko's heart raced uncontrollably as the room fell into a steady silence. She pressed her hands to her chest and fidgeted, her uneven, labored breaths making her lightheaded.

Was she really prepared for this? Could she face a room full of strangers knowing they would be horrified by every little thing about her? Could she handle all the ridicule? The embarrassment? Her hands trembled and her mouth was painfully dry.

Maybe things wouldn't turn out like that. Maybe they wouldn't care. She would be ignored, become the quiet girl at the back of the class who no one remembered. Or...maybe she would finally make some friends. Just one good friend would be enough for her.

No, she told herself, it was stupid to think like that. Who would want to be friends with a disgusting creature like her? Not only was she a cross-breed, but—

Well...

School was about more than making friends and having fun. She didn't need friends to learn how to exorcise demons. She could do everything by herself. After all, she's been alone her entire life, so why change now?

Sachiko tried to take comfort in these thoughts, but, deep down, the harsh sting of loneliness was not something she wanted to be familiar with.

"Miss Evelyn?" She flinched. Yukio was calling her into the room. It was now or never.

She realized she couldn't do it. She wasn't ready yet.

Sachiko picked up her bag and turned to leave. She lingered there, back to the classroom door, struggling to decide what she wanted to do.

If she walked away now, she could try again next year. But...what if she still wasn't ready by then? Would she wait again for the next year? Or the year _after that_?

"Miss Evelyn? Is everything alright?"

She steeled her nerves and forced herself to relax. She had to do this today. Next year would never come for her. If she left, she would carry this regret and fear for the rest of her life.

It was time to stop running away.

"Y-yes." She turned back to Yukio and curtsied in apology. "I...thought I forgot something."

"Do you need to go get it?"

"No. It's not important."

"Alright." Yukio smiled politely. "Allow me to introduce you to everyone." This time, she followed without hesitation. "This is Sachiko Evelyn. She will be joining us for the remainder of the year."

Sachiko stood at the front of the class and bowed slightly, hands clasped firmly to keep them from trembling. Here, she felt exposed and frightened, as if the eyes of the strangers that stared at her could bore into her flesh and see the cowardice that lied underneath. She swallowed hard, and reminded herself that she was brave, but it was a difficult thing to do under such relentless scrutiny.

Izumo was the first to react. "What's wrong with her face!?"

Rin flashed her one of his signature smiles. "I think it looks cool!" Sachiko immediately lost all her resolve and looked down, her face a bright red.

A tense, awkward atmosphere quickly filled the room. "Miss Evelyn is a cross-breed," Yukio explained. "The headmaster has decided to add her to our roster since everyone has grown accustomed to being with Rin in spite of his heritage."

"But aren't cross-breeds only found in poor countries?" Everyone turned to stare at Bon, who hadn't realized what he said was offensive. "What?"

Bon was, to an extent, correct. Cross-breeds were primarily found in areas too poor to afford exorcist protection, but it wasn't impossible to find one or two in a heavily populated city. Although the low-level demon needed to create Sachiko shouldn't be able to bridge a well-placed seal, accidents still happened. After all, exorcists couldn't protect _everyone_.

Yukio glanced at Sachiko. Her head was bowed low and she fidgeted nervously with the hem of her skirt. She looked up, shyly meeting his gaze, and suddenly he felt guilty for opening her to ridicule.

"We know less about cross-breeds than we do half-breeds," Yukio said firmly, bringing the room's attention back to him. "Cross-breeds won't be on the Exorcist Exam, so I'd like everyone to keep discussion on the matter out of class." He gave Sachiko a sympathetic smile. "Please take a seat at the middle table, Miss Evelyn." He pointed to the empty desk behind Rin and Shiemi.

Izumo cringed away as she passed to get to her seat. "You better not be contagious."

Rin turned around and smiled gently at the poor girl. "I like your hair! It's pretty!"

Sachiko's blush deepened and her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She was unused to such positive attention, even fleetingly, and was steadily beginning to realize how much she enjoyed it. "T-thank you."

The tension in the room grew weaker, and soon the students were consumed by their lessons. Sachiko did her best to keep up, but it was a constant and futile struggle. It was almost as if the teachers were speaking an entirely different language. She scribbled down whatever sounded important to her, but she didn't actually know what any of it meant. And, naturally, she was too embarrassed to interrupt class and ask.

After an eternity, (or what seemed like one), their lessons ended for the day. Sachiko sat back, relieved, and flexed her cramped hand. All the muscles in her right arm felt like they would explode if she dared to write another sentence.

She tilted her head back slightly and weaved a hand through her hair, attempting to massage away a headache as she did.

This was going to be a long, tiresome year.

* * *

A few uneventful days later, Sachiko found herself standing in front of the exorcist shop, a hastily written list of plants necessary for doctor training clutched tightly in her hands. This was the first time she would be shopping alone, and the thought of doing something foolish seemed to turn her legs to stone. But, regardless, she had to do it. She promised herself she wouldn't run from her fears anymore. She took a deep breath, gathered what little courage she had, and gently pushed the door open. A small bell rang as she entered.

Late afternoon sunlight streamed in through the garden windows, bathing the shop in a nostalgic, summer warmth. The earthy scent of dried leaves and fresh flowers permeated the air. These comforts, enjoyable under any other circumstances, did little to ease the apprehension pounding in her chest. Rows upon rows of boxed herbs lined either side of the small building, and a long table of incense and potted plants sat in the center. Sachiko glanced at the tiny list she held: aloe vera, mint, and sage. She didn't know what to do, (she barely knew what mint tasted like), and so stood dumbfounded by the door, quietly glancing around at the shelves and desperately hoping she would recognize something.

"Welcome!" Shiemi, a classmate, emerged from a room behind the counter, carrying a steaming pot of tea. "Oh, hi Sachiko! Here to get your things for Yuki's class tomorrow?" She set the kettle down on its tabletop stand. "Let me know if you need any help."

Sachiko nodded once and quickly averted her gaze, too embarrassed to admit she didn't know any of the plants she was searching for. Shiemi watched her with a wistful frown. Seeing Sachiko wander the shop lost and confused reminded her too much of how she felt when she first joined True Cross—alone, useless, weak, afraid...

She didn't want anyone to feel like that.

"Hey, Sachiko." She stood and walked over to her. "What do you have on your list?"

Sachiko was surprised to see that Shiemi was interested. "Um...a-aloe vera."

"Okay! Here." Shiemi removed a box from the shelf and opened it. Inside were leaves neatly arranged in plastic packages. "Aloe vera leaves have little spines on their edges. See?"

She took a closer look. "Oh, you're right!"

"What's next?"

Sachiko felt herself relax under Shiemi's bright smile. "Mint."

She led her to the other side of the shop and selected another box. "You can recognize mint from the smell. It's very strong." She opened it and, almost instantly, the sharp scent of mint filled the shop.

"It smells refreshing."

"And it's great in tea!"

"Last is sage."

"That one is a little harder." She paused and pulled another box from one of the higher shelves. "The leaves have a gray tint and feel a little scratchy. Most of the plants also have long, purple flowers."

Sachiko tentatively accepted the bundle of dried leaves. "I wish I was as smart as you, Moriyama."

Her smile softened. "Don't give up. You'll get there one day, Sachi."

"S-Sachi?" She blushed deeply; no one had ever given her a nickname before.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Do you mind if I call you Sachi?"

She shook her head repeatedly. "No, no! Not at all!"

"Great! And you can call me Shiemi!" The two walked over to the counter and Shiemi quickly took inventory of her purchase.

"How much is it?" Sachiko fumbled around in her bag for her coin purse.

"Don't worry about it."

Her head snapped up in surprise. "What? B-but...if I don't pay then it will feel like I'm stealing."

She smiled. "Then you can pay me by joining me for tea!" She gestured to the still steaming pot of tea.

"T-tea?"

"Do you not like tea?"

Sachiko shook her head, snapping herself out of her stupor. "N-no, I love tea!"

"Perfect!" Shiemi patted the empty cushion beside her and Sachiko eagerly sat down. "I can help you with your doctor classes if you'd like. Yukio is a great teacher, but sometimes he has trouble simplifying things." She poured Sachiko a cup of oolong tea.

"Thank you, Shiemi."

"Of course! It's what friends do!"

"F-friends?" Shiemi nodded, a sincere smile brightening her features. "Right, friends!" Sachiko's face lit up with joy. That someone as kind as Shiemi could look at her and see something more than a beast was incomprehensible to her.

"Have you spoken to Rin yet? He's a bit of a goof, but I'm sure he'd love to be your friend too!"

"No, not yet."

"I'll introduce you tomorrow."

Maybe this year wouldn't be so hard after all.

* * *

By the end of the week, Sachiko felt more comfortable with her new life at True Cross than she could have ever hoped possible. The exorcist lessons were still a pain, and she still struggled to keep up with the rest of the class, but the time she got to spend with her two new friends, (Shiemi and, to a lesser extent, Rin), more than made up for the unforgiving embarrassment that plagued her at the sight of her failing grades.

Sachiko quietly entered the room, balancing a stack of books in one hand. She was half an hour early for class, and was hoping to use the extra time to go over previous chapters in a futile (and frustrating) attempt to decipher them. But, to her surprise, she wasn't the only one who had arrived early today. Izumo sat in her assigned seat, flipping through one of their more complex textbooks. Sachiko smiled nervously at her when she glanced up, but the other girl simply rolled her eyes in exasperation and returned to her studying.

She sat down at the center table and tried to ignore Izumo's overbearing presence. As Sachiko struggled to read, something glittered on the edges of her vision. It continued to distract her until, finally, she gave into her curiosity and looked up.

Izumo had decorated her high ponytail with a beautiful, silver hairpin. It sparkled dazzlingly in the light as she moved her head. Sachiko couldn't help but marvel at it. It was such a small, simple thing, but it made her all the more eye-catching.

Her words were already out by the time she realized she was speaking. "Oh, Kamiki? I, um—"

The glare she sent Sachiko was so livid it cut her off before she could say more. "What?" Izumo raised a brow at her silence.

A sharp spike of panic and apprehension made her hesitate. She was never good at speaking to people when they appeared angry. Regardless, she smothered her anxiety and continued. "I really like your hairpin," she said, managing to keep her voice steady. "It's very...elegant. And I think it accentuates how pretty you are." She mentally smacked herself. What kind of person said stupid stuff like that?

But Izumo didn't think it sounded stupid. She blushed brightly, all the irritation gone from her expression, and turned away. "I-I know that!" she stuttered, keeping up with her annoyed facade. "T-that's why I'm wearing it!"

"O-oh...okay."

No one had ever complimented Izumo's hairpins before despite her collecting and wearing a wide variety. Sachiko's words, strangely, made her feel more confident about her already flawless appearance. She glanced back at her, but she was already back to her book.

"You know..." Sachiko looked up at the sound of her voice. "You're not so bad." She smirked. "A hairpin might look good on you, too." She dug a small, plastic barrette out of her purse. "Here, try this."

"O-okay!" Sachiko accepted it with an eager smile. "Um, like this?" She pinned it randomly to her hair.

Izumo made a sour face. "No, not like that." She removed the hairpin and replaced it, using it to hold her bangs off to the side. "There." She stepped back and smiled approvingly. "You look cuter already."

 _Cute?_ Sachiko felt her face heat up. "Thank you so much, Kamiki!"

"Of course." She huffed triumphantly. "I have a perfect sense of style, after all." They shared a smile, but it ended quickly as the other students began to arrive.

"So...what were you lovely ladies doing?" Shima wiggled his brows at them.

Izumo glared in response. "N-none of your business!"

* * *

Shura handed Sachiko's test back with a sympathetic smile. "Try harder next time, okay?"

Her expression darkened when she noticed her pitiable score—a _twelve_. "Ahh..." She sat back down and buried her face in her hands. Even Rin had scored higher than her.

Shiemi patted her affectionately on the arm. "Don't give up, Sachi!"

"Thanks..." Her friend's confidence in her lifted her spirits slightly, but she wasn't convinced she could do any better. Sachiko was just too stupid to excel.

Maybe the library had something that could help...

All exwires had access to the exorcist's library. It wasn't very big, but it contained a plethora of material unavailable to the general public.

Sachiko selected a book that went into further detail about demonic sigils and took a seat at an empty table. About forty minutes into her reading, someone pulled up a chair and sat beside her.

"Hey." Bon placed his bag on the floor and dug out a couple notebooks. She watched him with wide eyes, confused (and surprised) to see that he was willing to spend time with her. "You, uh...got the only Magic Seals and Circles book in the library."

"Oh!" She blushed, feeling silly for thinking Bon wanted anything other than the book she had. "I-I'm sorry!" She decided to leave. He would get more use out of it than her; besides, she could barely read it.

Bon stopped her before she could pack up. "S'okay," he said. "We're studying the same thing, so..." His voice trailed off and he glanced away, almost as if there was more he wanted to say.

"O-okay." Nervous, Sachiko settled back into her chair.

A long while passed before Bon spoke up again. "Look, uh, about the other day," he began, fidgeting with one of the studs in his ear. "I'm sorry. I have a nasty habit of blurting out whatever I'm thinking...but that's no excuse. I shouldn't have said what I did." Sachiko tilted her head, unable to remember anything he said that might have upset her. "I'm sorry for saying cross-breeds only come from poor countries. That was...really shitty of me."

"Oh, that?" She laughed lightly. "But I _am_ from a poor village! We barely have a dozen buildings."

"It doesn't make what I said right!" he snapped, irritated by her non-confrontational response.

"You've been dwelling on that all this time?" She only laughed harder. "You're such a sweetheart, Suguro!"

His face immediately turned a vibrant shade of red. "I-I am not!" He turned away to hide his blush.

Another quiet moment passed between them, and, by then, Sachiko had returned to studying, her brow knit together in deep concentration.

"Listen," Bon faced her again. "You can call me Bon. All my friends do."

Her face lit up with excitement. "Then you can call me Sachi!"

He smiled. "Deal." His eyes finally fell to the book, and he quickly noticed the pile of unorganized papers in front of her. "Are you having trouble?" he asked, skimming over her notes.

"I-is it that obvious?" She sighed. "I wish studying would somehow make me smarter, but I can't even understand this." She gestured weakly to the textbook.

"Weren't you home schooled before this?"

She frowned deeply. "No. I just put that on my application to make it look better."

He sat back, surprised. "You mean... You've never had any type of education?"

She hesitated, staring sadly at the pen in her hand. "My mentor taught me how to read and write, and he would sometimes sneak me books and newspapers, but that's it. I was to live my entire life in the temple, so, apparently, it didn't matter if I knew how to add or subtract."

"You're a shrine maiden? Shouldn't you know about seals?"

Her smile returned, softer now. "The head priest didn't think I was fit for any of the purification rituals because of my lineage. My only role was to clean and...pour tea."

He nodded solemnly and opened one of his notebooks. "There's a trick to it," he said, flipping to a blank page. "If you start at the center, the rest of the seal is easier to line up." He copied the sigil from their open textbook as an example.

"Wow!" Her eyes widened as she watched. "It's perfect!"

"Think about them in layers and shapes—they're easier to memorize that way. All seals have a base that is built on, and that base dictates what kind of seal you'll have. So, if you want to create a protection seal..." Bon delved into the book, describing each sigil in the simplest way he could. Sachiko scooted closer and listened with increasing intensity. She didn't feel ashamed to ask him questions and he didn't seem to mind repeatedly going over specific parts.

Bon was indeed a sweetheart.

* * *

"Not bad, girlie." Shura handed her quiz back with a smile. "Good job."

Sachiko's face brightened at the sight of her score. Eighty-two! "I-I passed!" She bounced slightly with excitement.

" _You_ , on the other hand." Shura slammed Rin's quiz down in front of him. A thirty. "You could learn something from your peers."

Rin frowned and grumbled in disappointment. "Hey, Sachi—how'd you get so good at Magic Seals all of a sudden?" Did she cheat? Maybe she had some tips she could share...

She looked up from her animated conversation with Shiemi. "Bon went over a few of the lessons with me! He's really smart!"

Bon chuckled modestly. "Well...I _do_ know a lot about seals..."

Rin jumped to his feet and dashed over to Bon's table. "Can you help me too!?"

He growled. "No."

" _Please_?" he whined, accentuating his plea with a slight pout.

But that only seemed to make Bon angrier. "No!"

He puffed up his cheeks in annoyance. "You only helped her because she's a girl!"

"What!?" Bon was understandably offended. "What kind of person do you think I am!? I helped her because she needed it!"

"Then help _me_!"

"You've been taking classes here longer than her! You should know how to do seals by now!" Damn. Rin couldn't argue with that.

"Aww man..." Utterly defeated, he wandered back to his seat and placed his head on his desk. "Yukio is gonna be so mad..." Shiemi reached over and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"By the way, Sachi, do you like cake?" Shiemi asked, her hand lingering on Rin's arm.

"Cake?"

"There's a new bakery that just opened up down the street. I heard they have great cakes! I was going to go by myself, but... Would you like to go together?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Hey!" Rin pointed to himself, feeling left out. "I like cake too! Aren't you going to invite me!?"

"Sorry, Rin—girls only." Shiemi and Sachiko shared a small laugh at his exaggerated, childish pout.


	3. Chapter 3

This is the last chapter I have, so the next update wont be for a while. Please let me know if its good or bad or boring or whatever. And many thanks to Pluviam for being my first reviewer! See you next time~

* * *

To Sachiko, the best thing about being a cross-breed was that normal people couldn't see her more animalistic features, a fact she would have never known had Mephisto not informed her. Apparently, humans required temptaint, (a special type of demonic wound), in order for their vision to breach the thin veil that naturally hid Assiah's intruders. Because of this rather convenient facet, Sachiko was freely able to wander the streets of True Cross Town without worrying about the local police receiving panicked calls describing a bird-like monster. She still earned stares from surprised passerbys, (her fur appeared as dark birthmarks on her skin), but it was nothing she wasn't already used to.

One evening after cram school, this, somehow, led to a conversation about the places Sachiko would like to visit aside from the bakery. Rin eventually suggested the arcade. And then, as improbable as it sounds, Sachiko revealed that she had never played a video game before _in her entire life_. This was clearly a crime against nature that needed to be immediately rectified, and Rin graciously volunteered to help her.

Thankfully, neither of them attended high school, (Rin wanted to focus on his training and Sachiko was too frightened by her inevitably poor test scores to apply), so, over the course of a week, the two met up after lunch and spent their free time at the arcade. He introduced her to everything it had available: a game where you had to flick a tiny ball to earn points, sidescrollers where you had to defeat wave after wave of enemies, a claw machine where you could win stuffed animals, a fighting game where two consoles were press back-to-back so you couldn't see your opponent...

And, of course, Rin's favorite, the dance machine—a strange game where you had to step on the arrows as they flashed by on a large screen.

Despite having the lowest grades in their class, Sachiko was surprisingly adept when it came to hands-on learning. Within two days, Sachiko had familiarized herself with most of the game consoles, and no longer had to look down at the buttons while she played. Her reaction time and aim was spectacular for someone who had never been in an arcade before. Pretty soon, the two of them were pitting their skills against each other.

And then, what had originally started as an innocent trip to the arcade developed into a fierce competition.

Sachiko was proud to finally have something she was good at, and her determination fueled her desire to win. But Rin had experience, and was too stubborn to back down even if his situation appeared hopeless. They were evenly matched. So, to make things more interesting, they agreed to a rather drastic bet: during the two hours until cram school, they would play a variety of games, keeping track of who won each round.

Loser had to eat a spoonful of Kuro's cat food.

With so much at stake (their tastebuds) neither of the two was willing to back down.

" _ARGH!_ " Rin gripped his hair in frustration as the character on his screen was knocked out. "No fair!" he whined, his voice cracking. He _couldn't_ lose. Losing meant an entire evening with the taste of fish-flavored slop on his tongue, and he was willing to do anything— _anything_ —to avoid that. "That one doesn't count! I want a do over!"

Sachiko poked her head out from the other side of the console, a triumphant smirk brightening her eyes. "Aww, is little Rin afraid of becoming a kitty?" She let out a few high-pitched, derisive mews, infuriating him.

He snarled, failing to keep his temper under control. "Your character is totally broken! Who gets to spam ultimates like that!? It's not fair!"

"You're just mad 'cause you can't beat me."

"That's _it_!" He jumped to his feet and stabbed a finger to the large machine in the center of the arcade. "You. Me. Dance. _Now_."

She hesitated. Rin was, surprisingly, a fantastic dancer—she didn't have the slightest chance against him. But, if she backed out now, she would look like a coward, and be forced to swallow _cat food_. "Fine. It's your funeral, Kitty-Kun." She hid her anxiety behind a playful smile.

A devilish grin stretched across his face. "We'll see about that."

Sachiko had poor balance and coordination, and this became obvious as she continuously failed to keep up with the colorful arrows scrolling across the screen. Thanks to Rin's training, he easily destroyed her.

"Hah! I win!"

Unused to such physical exertion, Sachiko meandered over to an empty table and plopped down.. "So," she puffed, "it's a tie."

Rin followed her, a wickedly triumphant grin on—

Wait, a _tie_? His grin instantly vanished.

Did that mean they _both_ had to eat Kuro's food? Rin wrinkled his nose in disgust. He tried not to let that thought bother him and sat across from her. "Aren't you glad you came here?"

"Huh?"

"A few days ago you were all 'oh no Rin, I can't play games; I'm too stupid," he raised his voice an octave as he tried to mimic her, but she wasn't amused by his poor attempt. He cleared his throat awkwardly and continued in a normal tone. "Look at you now! You had fun today, right?"

"Yes." A soft, authentic smile brightened her features. "I would have never known about this place if you hadn't dragged me to it." She sighed, her expression slowly becoming wistful. "I wish I had more confidence...like you, Rin."

He laughed once. "It took me a really long time to get where I am today." He lowered his gaze, suddenly reminded of his recent trip to Kyoto. "Take your time," he said, looking back up. "You shouldn't rush to please other people—explore and learn to become comfortable with who you are."

Her eyes widened at him. "That sounds weird coming from you."

"Y-yeah, well..." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Her smile returned. "But thanks. You're right. I've spent most of my life trying to meet everyone's expectations, but nothing I did was ever good enough."

Rin nodded in an uncharacteristic moment of solemnity. "It sucks, doesn't it?"

"I still carry some of that fear with me," she admitted, fidgeting nervously with her sleeves. "Earlier this month I was so afraid of being around other people. I was terrified of what everyone would think of me...and what they might say behind my back. I was...almost too afraid to come to True Cross. I wanted to turn and walk away..." Her voice trailed off and she frowned.

Rin reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Well, I'm glad you changed your mind!" He gently rubbed his thumb against one of the patches of fur covering her hand. His touch left her feeling flustered, and she blushed as she watched him.

Suddenly, as if finally realizing what was happening, Sachiko took her hand back. "Um..."

"S-sorry!" He stuttered mindlessly for a brief moment as he attempted to pull himself together. "I didn't—uh... I-I was just..."

She laughed, trying to make light of their awkward situation. "I didn't know the son of Satan was such a shy, cute boy!"

His cheeks flared a bright red. "I-I'm not shy! And I'm not cute!" He hesitated. "W-wait—I _am_ cute! B-but I, uh..." He didn't know what he was saying anymore, and the dumbfounded look on his face made her laugh even harder. "I-I was just... I-I was trying to comfort you!"

"Oh, you're such a gentleman."

"Stop mocking me!"

Her laughter eventually died down. "I'm sorry, Rin. You just look so funny when you blush."

He frowned at her, unamused. "I just...wanted to know what it felt like..." He mumbled the words, and she had to strain her ears to hear him.

"Huh?" Sachiko looked down at her hand. Sporadic patches and inconsistent lines of dark gray fur covered her skin, disappearing under her sleeve. "You mean...my fur?" She found it odd someone was genuinely interested in her more unique features. Most people tried their best to ignore them.

But, then again, Rin wasn't like most people.

"We're both demons," he began tentatively, "and I wanted to know if your fur and my fur felt the same." He waved his furry tail around behind him.

That's right—Rin had a tail. Suddenly, Sachiko didn't feel so ashamed of her strange appearance. "Well, does it?"

Rin started, almost as if he was surprised she had asked that. "No, it's softer. Mine's kinda, um..." he floundered for the appropriate word, "scratchier?"

Sachiko tilted her head and rested her chin on her fist contemplatively. "Do you brush it?"

"Yeah, but..." He lowered his gaze, embarrassed. "All the combs I've tried pull and...it hurts. I untangle it with my fingers now."

She had the perfect solution. "Okay. You can have one of my brushes."

"Huh?" His head snapped up. " _You_ have a tail?"

She shook her head and his enthusiasm deflated. "My feathers sometimes become entwined, and I like to keep them straight, so I've collected a lot of different high-quality brushes over the years. You can have a few if you'd like."

"A few?" He stared at her in disbelief. "How many do you have?"

"Thirty-six." She smiled innocently. "I use four separate brushes during my morning routine and two before bed."

"Wow! No wonder your hair looks so pretty!"

Sachiko blushed a bright red, caught off guard by his compliment. "T-thank you," she stuttered, struggling to regain her composure. "I have a few that are designed specifically for longer fur like yours. They can be used wet or dry, and shouldn't pull or snag."

"And I can have them?" She nodded. "Thanks!" He seemed to be childishly excited for whatever reason.

She smiled, just as excited to find someone struggling to cope with their demonic characteristics like her. "It's a nightmare trying to find the right brush that works."

"No kidding," he agreed. "Do you happen to have any suggestions for stereo headphones?"

"No. All the ones I've tried have been so uncomfortable to wear."

"Because they push the pointed tips of your ears down, right?"

Sachiko perked up. "Y-yes. That's exactly why!"

Rin leaned forward, eager. "Have you ever accidentally bit your lip with your fangs?"

She nodded repeatedly. "It's sore for the rest of the day. And I can't eat—"

"—spicy food!" He finished her sentence for her, breathless with excitement.

She gaped at him. "Yeah. H-how did you...?"

"You ever get in that awkward situation where someone steps on your tail?"

"Or accidentally closes the door on my feathers?"

"Yeah! How about when you have a really bad itch and you're not paying attention—"

"—and you rip your skin or leave a bruise? And sometimes when you try to open snacks they get caught on your claws and tear the package open in the wrong place?"

"And then you have chip crumbs all over you! Okay, how about this..."

They gushed over each other for the next twenty minutes, discovering they had far more in common than either of them had originally thought.

"—But I was the only one who could see it! It was so weird."

Sachiko nodded. "You start to wonder if you're going crazy or if people are playing a cruel prank on you."

"Yeah. It's pretty scary seeing them for the first time. But I—" Rin stopped suddenly, his eyes widening in horror at something behind her. "Uh-oh."

She turned, and was met by a glare so livid it almost made her shiver. Yukio stomped up to them, fists clenched at his sides as he tried to control his flaring temper. "H-hey, bro..." Rin stuttered nervously.

"Nii-san," he growled. "What are you still doing here? You two were supposed to be back forty minutes ago! Everyone's waiting!"

In the midst of their fun, Rin had all but forgotten about their mission briefing. "Wait, t-that's today!? Uh...oops?" He chuckled innocently, but it did nothing to calm his brother.

Sachiko stood and bowed politely in apology. "S-sorry, Okumura-sensei."

"You can apologize to everyone else back a the dorm. Let's go."

* * *

Yukio briskly entered the room, immediately earning the attention of the six waiting exwires. He was quickly trailed by Rin and Sachiko, both looking rather guilty as they took their seats.

"Finally." Shura sat upright and stretched the ache out of her legs, grateful for the reprieve. "What were you and your boyfriend doing that kept you so busy?" She grinned devilishly at Sachiko.

"Huh? Me and Rin?" Sachiko tilted her head in mock surprise, unaffected by Shura's incessant teasing. "He's not my type," she stated plainly, much to Rin's dismay. "He's too girly."

"G-girly!?" he exclaimed, feeling betrayed. "I'm not girly!"

"The way you rotated your hips on that dance machine says otherwise." The entire room was gripped by a sudden silence. Everyone, (including Yukio), turned to look at Rin. He blushed furiously and opened his mouth in an attempt to explain himself, but all that came out were a few choked sounds.

"Oooo, Sachiko, that was _savage_." Shura leaned forward with a vicious smirk. "So what's this about a dance machine, Rin? Hmm?"

"I-I, uh..." He was too stunned to respond.

"You two can discuss it later." Yukio brought the room's attention back to him. "We have a mission debriefing to do." He narrowed his eyes at Shura, wordlessly telling her to stop being so childish.

"You're no fun..." She crossed her arms with a huff.

He tossed a stuffed snake on the table in front of her and handed two bulky files to Rin and Sachiko. "Our mission tomorrow will take us to an old building just outside True Cross Town's shopping district." He paused and held up the first page of the file. It was a printed photograph that depicted a large, old building. The grass was long and unkempt, and a cluster of dead vines snaked up the side, disappearing into a broken window.

"This is True Cross Town's old hospital," Yukio continued. "It was shut down twenty years ago when the staff was relocated and has been abandoned ever since." He set the photo down. "A private contracting company has recently purchased the land and wants to demolish the old hospital in favor of a much needed office complex."

Rin yawned loudly. This was boring.

Yukio shot him a quick glare, but otherwise ignore him. "Due to years of disuse, the building has been commandeered by a hoard of Basilisk."

He held up another image, this time a detailed sketch of a black snake. It was furry and had larger eyes than its reptilian cousins, and were equipped with a pair of short forearms, allowing them to climb vertical surfaces very quickly. Its tail had a flat, fleshy disk that, when fully expanded, could be used to slap away their enemies or stun small prey.

"Basilisk are known for being able to kill with a single glance." He paused for dramatic effect.

Rin perked up, suddenly interested. "...Wait, are you serious?" He looked at his brother with horrified disbelief.

"That's what these are for, right?" Bon held up a compact mirror slightly bigger than his hand.

"Very good, Suguro. Each of you should have a mirror that you can use to direct the Basilisk's gaze back at it." Rin finally decided to open the folder Yukio had given him. The mirror sat atop a neat pile of pages.

"Fortunately, these Basilisk are very small," he continued, reassuringly. "If you do accidentally make eye contact with one, the worst it can do is make you feel a little nauseous. But, there are a lot of them—enough to pose a threat to the construction workers—so try not to get overwhelmed." He dug through his papers again, holding up a simple blueprint of the hospital. "You will work in four teams of two—two teams in each side. One of you will distract the Basilisk while the other exorcises it."

Shura picked up the stuffed snake and waved it around. "We'll be using this little guy to demonstrate."

Yukio held up a long, metal pole with two prongs on one end in the shape of a 'v'. "One of you will use this to hold down the snake's head." He passed it to Shura, who pressed it against the toy in the proper position. The prongs held the snake's mouth in place, ensuring that it wouldn't be able to bite or look around. "The other will place a talisman on the top of its head." Shura demonstrated this as well. "That's it. It should take us about two hours to clear the entire building. Afterward, everyone will have the remainder of the day off."

Sachiko was the only one who vigorously took notes during the entirety of Yukio's explanation. Now that he was finished, she sat back and shook her poor, cramped hand.

"That sounds too easy." Rin said, a hint of a complaint on the edge of his tongue. "Why can't we do something more fun?"

Shura _tsked_ at him. "Not all the jobs exorcists do are exciting."

"You can stay behind if you'd like, Nii-san," Yukio said plainly, surprising everyone. "But you won't get paid."

Rin's enthusiasm instantly returned at the mention of money. "Whoa, we're getting _paid_ for this?"

Yukio smirked. "The company thinks we're dealing with a rodent infestation. And, since it's privately owned, they're willing to compensate us for our hard work. Ten thousand yen for each of you."

"Ten thousand!?" Mephisto didn't even give them that much to spend on food each month.

"Cash."

"C-c-ca-!?" Rin choked on his words.

"Really?" Shiemi asked, just as excited as everyone else.

Yukio's smile brightened. "Really. And, because the hospital is so close to the shopping district, you'll have the rest of the day to spend it on whatever you want."

Excited chatter erupted throughout the room.

"T-ten... Ten... Ten th-thousand...?"

"What are you going to get with your share, Shiemi?"

"Hmm, maybe a nice spring yukata..."

"Teach, is this legal?"

Rin grabbed Bon by his shoulders and shook him roughly. _"Who cares!? It's caaasssh!"_

"Get offa me!"

* * *

Despite everyone telling Rin how spectacular his cooking was, (and that he'd make the perfect wife seeing as how he was already, according to Sachiko, fairly girly), dinner was largely uneventful. After, the boys decided to retire to their rooms early while the girls considered taking a bath.

"You come too, Sachi!" Shiemi handed her plate over and Sachiko piled their used dishes with the others in the sink. "This place may look creepy, but the bathrooms are—"

"No."

"...Oh." Shiemi hesitated, stunned by the abrupt ease with which Sachiko refused her. "Are you sure?"

She smiled brightly at her friend. "I'll stay here and help Rin clean up."

Rin glanced up from storing the leftovers in the fridge. "It's okay—I can handle it on my own."

"It just doesn't feel right leaving you by yourself after all the work you went through to make dinner. Besides," she turned back to Shiemi, "I'll shower before bed. It's easier for me."

"Okay then." Shiemi couldn't help but sound a little disappointed.

"Shiemi, are you coming?" Izumo called her over from the doorway.

"Yeah!" She smiled at Sachiko regardless. "Come find us if you change your mind." With that, the two girls left.

Rin eyed her incredulously as she walked up to the sink. "You really don't have to," he said gently. "I've been—"

She cut him off with a stern voice uncharacteristic of her usually benign demeanor. "I do _not_ want to take a bath with other people." Her words made it very clear that the topic was no longer open for discussion.

So, instead, Rin quietly handed her the dish soap and they began to clean together in silence. Once they were finished, he fetched two ramunes from the fridge and joined and exhausted Sachiko at the table. "Want one?"

She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the drink and pushed it aside; fizzy beverages burned her mouth, and she found the sensation unpleasant. "Ugh, no thanks."

"Ten thousand yen..." He sat back and smiled wistfully to himself. "I can't believe they're going to pay each of us _ten thousand yen_ tomorrow."

"That _does_ sound a bit ridiculous. I wonder what made them decide to pay a bunch of students."

Rin pressed open his ramune and took a long drink. "I bet Mephisto had something to do with it." And then, without a second thought, he grabbed Sachiko's abandoned bottle and popped that open too. She watched him drink from both with an amused smile. "What? I'm not going to let it go to waste."

She laughed once, a light, airy sound. "Thanks, Rin."

"Sure. If you want me to take your drinks more often just say so." He grinned playfully.

She smiled at him and shook her head. "No, I mean—thanks for taking me to the arcade. I had no idea being an exorcist in training was so much fun."

Rin took a small sip and placed his drink down. "Speaking of which, do you mind if I ask you why you decided to become an exorcist?" She looked a bit stunned at his question. "Uh," he hesitated, wondering if he had inadvertently brought up bad memories. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. Everyone has their own reason for being here...and you already know mine, and...I was just curious."

She folded her hands in front of her on the table and slowly began to fidget, something Rin noticed her doing when she felt nervous or embarrassed. "My village," she stopped, unable to find the right words, and started again. "At the edge of my village is an old temple built into the mountainside. Deep underground is a cavern with a demon. We've kept it sealed away for three thousand years by giving it offerings and replacing the seals it destroys, but..."

He leaned forward, his interest entirely captivated. "But what?"

She glanced up slightly, as if she suddenly remembered he was listening to her. "Fifty years ago, the demon started trying to escape. Nothing we did could soothe it—the entire village ran out of supplies trying. So...the head priest assigned a shrine maiden to live in the den where the demon was sealed. He said a young girl would distract it from trying to destroy the cave. Her job is to keep an eye on it and replace the seals that the demon breaks."

"They just lock some poor girl up and expect her to deal with it alone!?" The very thought made Rin's blood run hot.

She ignored his outburst and continued. "The previous shrine maiden was mauled by the demon. I was next in line to take the position. But Huang..." She paused, taking in a deep, shaky breath. "My sister knew I wasn't strong enough, so she volunteered and took my place." In spite of the dreadful weight of her words, her expression lightened. "She's incredible. Being alone with such a powerful demon doesn't bother her at all. She even got to visit me every morning before I left. The demon hasn't made so much as a peep since she started living with it."

Sachiko seemed to be in another world as she spoke, her smile distant.

Huang was the first person in Sachiko's life to show her any measure of kindness. They were one in the same, both cross-breeds of the same species, (though Sachiko was more human while Huang was more animal.) As children, they constantly played together, setting fire to paper origami figures and using their shed feathers to decorate their clothing. As adults, they studied together, practicing the same things again and again under the gentle guidance of their foreign mentor. Huang was always better than her and would often tease her for her mistakes, if only to motivate her to succeed. A small smile crept onto her face.

Rin rested his chin in his hand and quietly watched her daydream. He wanted to ask her to continue, but didn't have the heart to interrupt whatever memories she was enjoying.

Eventually, she looked up at him. "That's why I'm here. Honestly, I don't plan on passing the Exam, or becoming a licensed exorcist, or anything like that... All I want to do is learn enough to be able to help Huang. If there's two of us, the demon won't stand a chance."

"Three!"

Her eyes widened. "Rin?"

"Three of us!" he shouted. "You can't expect me to stay behind after telling me a story like that!"

"But, you don't know anything about seals."

" _Urk_! Y-yeah, b-but..." he fumbled with his words, embarrassed.

"Or treating injuries."

"Uh, I..."

"Or chanting mantras, or—"

"I don't need to know all that crap to kill it!"

"You're planning on _killing_ it?" She gaped at him, surprised by his endless enthusiasm. "Rin, it's an ancient, powerful demon!"

He snorted loudly, unconcerned. "So it's old. Big deal. I'll still kick its ass."

Not a second passed before Sachiko burst out with lighthearted laughter. "You _have_ to meet Huang! She's going to love you so much!"

"We can visit her during the winter break!" He made the suggestion eagerly, much to Sachiko's delight; but, in truth, he just wanted an excuse to get away from Shura's intense training sessions for a weekend.

She nodded. "Thanks, Rin!"

"That is... _if you survive the night_!" He lowered his voice and flashed her a wide, sadistic smirk.

"W-what do you mean?" His sudden change in tone sent chills down her spine.

"You haven't forgotten our bet, have you?"

"Bet?" Her content smile was quickly replaced with unveiled horror. "You... You don't mean..." She watched as he hopped to his feet and quickly dug something out of the pantry.

It was a can...

of _cat food_.

Sachiko swallowed hard, suddenly realizing how dry her mouth felt. Rin returned to the table with two spoons. "It was a tie, remember?" He handed her one. "That means we both lost."

She accepted the spoon with a trembling hand. "Do we have to?" she asked, desperately hoping he would say no. "We...we can say we both won instead, can't we?"

He grinned mischievously. "What's wrong? Afraid of becoming a kitty?" He let out a few high-pitched, derisive mews, infuriating her.

"O-of course not!" she snapped, tightening her grip.

"Then dig in!" He pried open the can and nudged it toward her.

Sachiko eyed it cautiously, as if expecting it to suddenly grow arms and murder her. "...You first." She nudged it back.

He shot the can a worrying glance. "Y-you're the one who's trying to be more confident!" He slid it back.

"That has nothing to do with this." Back to Rin.

"Sure it does." Back to Sachiko.

"The bet was your idea."

"Ladies first."

"Age before beauty."

"Happy birthday."

"Merry Christmas."

They both paused and stared down at the can, ominously waiting in the center of the table. "Okay," Sachiko sighed heavily. "We'll do it at the same time."

Rin nodded in agreement. "On three." Each scooped a minuscule amount of cat food onto their spoons. "R-ready?" She nodded nervously. "One... Two... _Three_!"

Sachiko took a deep breath, braced herself, and shoved the spoon into her mouth. Instantly, all her senses were consumed by a rancid, fishy taste. She scrambled out of her chair and ran for the sink, coughing violently. She turned the faucet on full blast and bent down into the running water, hoping it would wash the nauseating taste away. After a minute of suffering the cold water, she turned it off. She shivered with disgust, the taste still thick on the back of her throat.

It was then that she noticed Rin was laughing hysterically, almost to the point where he couldn't breathe. She raised a brow at him, wondering what he found so funny. Did he actually _like_ that wretched taste?

Unable to speak, Rin raised his spoon, revealing that it still held a chunk of cat food. He hadn't even bothered to taste it.

He had tricked her.

" _ARGH!_ You asshole!" She grabbed the nearby dishtowel and threw it at him in frustration. It fell short, landing lazily on the floor, and made Rin laugh so hard tears started to escape from the corners of his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

I thought this would take longer for me to write since I have literally no motivation. I'm glad its done I guess. Hope you like it!

* * *

Too many times now the exwires had been forced to work in incomprehensibly unsafe conditions that would have, under any other circumstances, landed Mephisto and the teachers in prison. The students had been subjected to derelict buildings that could collapse at any moment, overgrown forests infested with mosquitoes, and even a biochemical laboratory that (probably) contained some kind of undiscovered, flesh-eating bacteria. But, fortunately for their instructors, dangerous, inhospitable locations were all an accepted part of an exorcist's daily life.

As such, they were pleasantly surprised when the old hospital building came into view. Aside from the unkempt lawn and vines snaking their way in through a few busted windows, the place looked to be in relatively good shape. It even had a working auxiliary generator, as shown by the floodlight shining on the front doors. This meant the interior of the hospital would be lit by nice, florescent lights—a rarity in the perpetually dark world of demon hunting.

The sight of the bright, friendly building almost seemed too good to be true. And, to Rin, it was.

"Are you _sure_ this place has been taken over by a horde of demons?" he asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion at his brother. "This isn't some kind of trick, is it?"

Yukio only shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous, Nii-san."

"Like I said, Rin," Shura paused, stretching the tension out of her stiff muscles, "not all exorcist jobs are exciting. Just be grateful today is easy."

He looked away. "After all we've been through it's hard to believe there are 'easy' jobs for us."

She clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. "Don't be such a party-pooper."

"I'm not a party-pooper," he grumbled. "I just don't want to see any more people get hurt."

"Then pay attention during our meetings." Yukio frowned at him.

Rin made a sour face. "But your meetings are so _boring_!"

"Maybe if you wore a skirt, he'd be more interested in what you have to say." Yukio shot Shura a livid glare, but she only giggled mischievously at his expression.

"You're both hopeless," he sighed heavily.

Rin stood, tightening the thick, black strap that held his sword securely over his shoulder, and followed the other exwires off the bus. He watched as it made a wide u-turn and drove back to the main road. It would return for them in six hours.

Yukio wasted no time and began separating them into teams: Shiemi and Izumo, Koneko and Shima, Bon and Takara, and, finally, Rin and Sachiko. They quickly arranged themselves into their assigned groups and waited patiently as Shura distributed the tools they would need. Along with the metal stick and a bag of simple, paper talismans was what appeared to be a pager with nothing but a big, gray button on it.

"Here," she dropped one into Rin's hand. "Stick this on your belt. You too, girlie." She casually tossed another to Sachiko. Startled, she fumbled and dropped it.

Rin picked it up for her. "Are you okay? You've been acting jumpy all morning."

"Y-yeah..." She gingerly accepted the pager. "Thanks."

Yukio cleared his throat to get their attention. "There are two major parts to the hospital aside from the visitor's center," he explained. "Teams A and B will take the east wing and Teams C and D will go west. Try to exorcise every demon you find, even if it's not a Basilisk. If you come across a high-level demon," he held up the pager, "press this button and either Shura or myself will come find you.

"But," he paused, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. "Know that if you press it, you will automatically forfeit half of your pay."

"Half!?" Rin exclaimed, partly out of anger and partly out of disbelief. "You can't do that!"

"You are all experienced exwires," he continued firmly, ignoring his brother's protests. "By now you should be able to handle large demons, even if it's just two of you. This button is only to be used in an emergency. Any questions?" He glanced at each of them in turn, but no one spoke up. "Good." He smiled approvingly. "We'll meet back here in two hours."

"Pfft, half...what a thief..." Rin mumbled incoherently to himself as he followed the others into the building.

* * *

Sachiko anxiously trailed behind Rin as they picked their way through the various rooms at the back end of the west wing, her bag of talismans clutched tightly to her chest. Rin cast her a worrying look as they paused before a door. "Sachi?" She jumped at the sound of his voice. "Is everything okay?"

She sniffled loudly, allowing the rigid silence that lingered between them to answer for her. Despite what she had said earlier, she was, most certainly, not okay.

Rin sighed softly to himself and opened the door. Everything had been neatly packed and cleared away twenty years ago when the staff and patients had moved to the newer building. All that remained were a few old computer desks, dusty counters built into the walls, and empty cabinets. There was another cloud of coal tar in this room, (which Rin shooed away with a dismissive wave of his hand), but still no Basilisk.

Sachiko let out a surprised yelp when they returned to the hall. "What!?" Startled, Rin's free hand immediately went to the cloth case carrying his sword.

She nudged him forward and gestured wildly to a door. "T-there!"

The door was slightly ajar, and Rin caught sight of a black tail slithering in through the opening. "Oh." He relaxed. "Finally."

But Sachiko didn't follow him. She remained where she was, back pressed hard against the wall and feet planted firmly. "Um, Rin?" He glanced at her, hand on the door. "W-would you laugh i-if... If I told you..." Her voice trailed off and she bit her bottom lip nervously.

"What is it?" He gave her the most disarming look he could, genuinely concerned for her.

"I... I'm afraid of s-snakes!" She immediately hid her face with her hands, embarrassed.

Rin couldn't hold back a smile. "Is _that_ what you've been worried about this whole time?"

She peeked at him through her fingers, her voice slightly muffled. "They're disgusting! And...and what if one bites me!?"

"You're not going to get bit!" He puffed out his chest. "You're got the best exorcist in the world with you! I'll protect you!"

She lowered her hands. "Promise?"

"Promise!"

"O-okay." She picked up the bag at her feet.

"Not let's get that snake!" Rin held the stick up and burst through the door, startling the Basilisk. It immediately tried to escape, making an awkward dash toward the wall with a vent, but it wasn't fast enough. Rin pinned the upper half of its furry head down the the prongs, just as Shura had demonstrated the day before. "I got it! Now, Sachi!" The Basilisk flailed and twisted its long body into knots, trying to break free. It was stronger than he expected, and he began struggling to hold it in place. "Hurry!"

Sachiko dug a talisman out and approached it cautiously from behind. It knew she was there, and she squeaked in surprise as it flicked its flat tail at her. "G-gross!" She backed away.

"C'mon, Sachi! You can do it!"

"Eww, no!" She shook her head repeatedly and her already ruffled plumage swayed with her movements.

"Hey, I got an idea!" She looked up at him, frightened tears threatening to escape the corners of her eyes. "If you purify it, I'll tell you something!"

"T-tell me what?"

He flashed her a toothy grin. "You'll have to exorcise it to find out!"

She fidgeted, considering his offer for a brief moment. Suddenly, she took a few steps forward and slammed the talisman down on the back of the Basilisk's head just as it squirmed free. She cringed away from it immediately, hands pressed tightly to her chest and eyes squeezed shut. The snake wiggled a few shuddering movements, and then fell limp. It disappeared in a puff of ash.

Sachiko eased her eyes open, surprised by her own bravado. "I... I did it!"

Rin smiled. "That wasn't so bad, right?"

"I didn't even have to touch it!" She sighed in relief and lowered her arms to her sides. Her entire demeanor had changed in that one instant—from frightened and anxious, back to her usual perky self. "What were you going to tell me?"

His gentle smile quickly changed to a wide, devilish smirk. "Do you think you can handle it?" She hesitated and nodded tentatively. "Are you _sure_?" Another uncertain nod. "Okay..." He took a deep breath in preparation. "What do you get when you cross a snake and a pie?

" _A PIE-thon!_ "

Sachiko stared at him blankly, her brain struggling to process the stupidity of what she had just heard.

"Get it? Cause a python is a kind of snake?"

There was a long (and slightly chilly) pause before she laughed once, a joyful and amused smile brightening her features. "Yukio's right," she shook her head, "you're hopeless."

"H-hey!" He frowned. "Admit it—that was hilarious!"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Pun-Master. What else do you have?"

"Whoa, hold on. I don't give out my amazing jokes _that_ easily," he said with a wink. "I'll tell you a new one each time we exorcise a Basilisk. Deal?"

She nodded. "Deal."

* * *

Sachiko slowly, (but temporarily), got over her fear of touching Basilisk. They were still creepy and undeniably disgusting, and she still flinched when they squirmed in her direction, but she felt much more comfortable than she had when they started. And, of course, Rin's terrible sense of humor kept her distracted from truly understanding the reality of what she was doing: touching _snakes_.

"Okay, okay. How about this..." Rin led her into the next room. "Why did the snake divorce her husband?"

"Why?"

"E- _reptile_ dysfunction!"

"Oh my god." She burst out laughing, not because the joke itself was funny, but because it was so bad she found it impossible _not_ to laugh.

He pinned down another escaping Basilisk and stepped aside, giving Sachiko enough room to quickly place a talisman on the back of its head. It disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Rin glanced around once. "That's everything here." He closed the door behind them as they returned to the hallway.

It had been almost two hours, and the only had one short corridor of rooms remaining. So far, everything had been going better than expected.

Rin stopped at the corner and turned back to face her. "Why don't snakes need to weigh themselves? Because they have their own _scales_!" He snorted—that was a good one.

Sachiko opened her mouth to make a witty retort, but the words never came. She suddenly dropped her bag of talismans and let out a horrified scream.

Rin was startled by the sharp sound of her voice. "Was it that bad?"

She didn't respond. She was frozen in place, eyes locked to something over Rin's shoulder. He turned.

And came face-to-face with a massive Basilisk.

It was at least twenty feet long, with a wide mouth lined with incredibly sharp teeth and a large head that could easily swallow him whole. A group of smaller snakes writhed, agitated, behind it. Belatedly, Rin realized he was looking at a Basilisk King—the alpha who controlled the lesser demons. Judging by its vicious, animalistic expression, it had probably been drawn out of hiding thanks to the number of its servants they had purified.

It ignored him as he stepped back in shock, its attention completely focused on Sachiko.

He shook his head, snapping out of his stupor, and bravely placed himself in front of the Basilisk's gaze. "Sachi! Stop looking at it!" But she didn't move, mesmerized by the demon's alluring eyes. "Damnit!" He shifted to the side and threw his metal stick like a javelin, aiming for an eye. "Hey, asshole! Look over here!"

The snake let out a low, irritated growl as the prong bounced harmlessly off the side of its face. It turned and roared at him in anger, releasing Sachiko from its deadly spell. She collapsed to her knees, head in her hands. She was dazed and confused, but otherwise fine.

Rin removed his sword from its carrying case. "Sachi! Are you okay?"

He didn't get a chance to hear her response.

The Basilisk lunged at him, barely giving him enough time to raise his sheathed sword in defense. It struck him and roughly tossed its head, throwing him directly into Sachiko. He lost his grip on his sword and tumbled awkwardly on top of her.

"Sachiko!" He pulled her into an upright position. "You okay?"

"Y-yes... I think so." She blinked hard a few times to clear the fog from her mind.

And then screamed.

Startled, Rin followed her petrified gaze back to the Basilisk King. The large group of lesser snakes now came slithering toward them, answering their leader's unspoken command. They hissed and snapped their teeth as they approached, sleek, black fur bristled in anger.

In that instant, all of Sachiko's fears came rushing back to her. She struggled out of Rin's grasp and scrambled back in a desperate attempt to escaped the coming horde, But a wall abruptly stopped her. Sachiko watched in mute horror as the snakes quickly formed a semi-circle around her, separating her from Rin and trapping her for their amusement.

"Sachi!" Rin searched for a way to reach her, but the thick line of Basilisk between them was too dense for him to traverse without being overwhelmed. Most of the crowd ignored him, too entertained by their squirming victim to give him a second thought. Those that did try to nip his ankles, (perhaps in the hope that he, too, was also afraid of snakes), were quickly met by a deadly burst of blue fire. "Sachi—your talismans!" he called, kicking a charred corpse aside. "Use your talismans!"

She didn't hear him, distracted by a Basilisk as it bit the tip of her shoe. "Eek! G-get away!" With a sudden and unnatural display of strength, Sachiko kicked hard, sending it flying over Rin's head. It landed safe (but frazzled) on the Basilisk King's snout. The demon placed its servant on the floor and flicked its forked tongue in calm amusement. It was too entertained to feel the need to intervene, despite the snakes that Rin had killed. "H-help me!"

"Sachi, hang on!" Rin ground his teeth in frustration. Where did he drop his sword?

Another, braver snake broke away from the crowd and began to climb up her leg, using its short, clawed hands to grip her tights. "G-g-get off!" She stuttered, disgusted by the sensation but too scared to react. It reached her skirt and slid its head underneath.

Suddenly, Sachiko's voice changed from frightened to furious. "I said _get off_!" She picked up her talisman bag and whacked the snake in her skirt as hard as she could. It hit the far wall with a sickening _crack_ and slipped to the floor. " _Ugh_! Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners!?" She smoothed her skirt down with an angry huff.

If there was anything Sachiko hated more than snakes it was a pervert.

Now infuriated, she regained some of her confidence. She pulled out a talisman and waved it at them, prepared to purify the next beast that dared to approach her. "Stay back or I'll do it!" Of course, they were just snakes, and had no idea what she planned to do, so they continued their disorganized advance undaunted.

While the snakes were busy torturing Sachiko, Rin frantically scanned the floor for his fallen sword. It was against the wall on his left, a few feet away from where he had dropped it, and right beside the Basilisk King. He reached for it, but the demon snapped its teeth at him, forcing him to back away. It glared, eyes flicking between him and the sword, challenging him to reach for it again.

He crouched low and hugged the wall impatiently, eyes never leaving the demon's head.

Sachiko squealed as one of the Basilisk attempted to bite her. She slammed a talisman down on its head before it came too close. It shuddered violently and disappeared, causing the others to hesitate. "I-I told you to stay back!" She pushed herself unsteadily to her feet and purified another nearby snake. It, too, vanished. "You're just a bunch of perverts!" The remainder of the group quickly backed away from her, frightened.

The Basilisk King glanced over at her, attracted by the commotion.

Rin immediately dove for his sword and drew the blade with a practiced flourish. His flames responded instantly, erupting from his body in a ferocious, dazzling display. Warm, familiar flickers of fire danced across every part of him: his hands, his tail, his clothes, and even his hair. The large demon recoiled, stunned by the vibrant, blue light. But it was only momentary, and, with a shake of its head, it turned back to him and snarled.

Rin lowered his sword in an offensive stance and looked the demon directly in the eyes, no longer afraid of its paralyzing effects. The Basilisk hesitated, regarding him with newfound respect.

He took advantage of the opportunity and charged forward, putting every ounce of his strength and speed into a single strike—a rookie mistake Shura had yet to drill out of him. The snake dove to the side with a twist of its long body. It moved far faster than anything Rin could've expected. His flaming sword grazed it with less than an inch to spare. The fire singed its fur, but did little to the flesh underneath.

He straightened and whirled around to face the Basilisk. It met his frustrated gaze with renewed confidence, giving a faintly amused hiss in response to his scowl.

Rin moved to strike again, but stopped himself.

He had a problem.

The Basilisk had inadvertently pried him further away from Sachiko, who was now being attacked in earnest by the smaller snakes. For every one she purified, two clambered onto her, nipping her clothes and pulling her feathers.

He had to help her.

Rin drove the tip of his sword into the tiled floor, releasing a short wave of intense, blue fire. The flames skirted around the demon king and burned everything in their path, destroying all of the smaller Basilisk in one powerful blast. It quickly washed over a surprised Sachiko, but didn't even damage the paper talisman in her hand.

The Basilisk glanced back, surprised to find Sachiko alone and surrounded by the faint sooty remains of its servants. Slowly, it returned its attention to Rin, its large, unblinking eyes consumed by an animalistic rage. Before he could launch a final attack and end the demon's reign, it tilted its head back and roared.

Both Sachiko and Rin had to clamp their hands over their ears; the sound was so intense it seemed to make the building tremble. Rin recovered first and attempted to deliver the finishing blow, but something wrapped itself around his leg, holding him firmly in place. He stumbled forward slightly and glanced down to find a half-burnt Basilisk clawing pathetically at his pants. He snarled and set it on fire.

"Rin, lookout!" His head snapped up at the urgency in Sachiko's voice.

Too late.

The Basilisk King slammed the wide, flat part of its tail into him at an angle, throwing him off his feet. The world reeled sickeningly as he hit the back of his head hard against the wall behind him. Before he could regain control of his senses, the demon plunged into his chest headfirst, pinning him against the wall and knocking the air out of his lungs.

"Rin!" Sachiko hesitantly approached them, dodging a swift strike from the Basilisk King's flailing tail. "Hang on!"

"Don't!" He choked, wincing as the large snake pushed even harder, crushing him.

"But I can help!"

Unable to move, Rin summoned his flames. The small flickers of fire covering his body erupted into a blaze of panicked ferocity. The demon flinched at the searing heat, but kept its tight hold. It was determined to suffocate him, even if that meant it would burn to death.

Rin's flames soon began to diminish, losing intensity as his strength wavered. It took everything he had just to remain conscious.

Suddenly, the Basilisk released him and reared back with a pained shriek, its short forearms clawing the air helplessly. It turned away from Rin and twisted its body violently, throwing Sachiko off its back. She scrambled to her feet and helped Rin sit upright. "You alright?"

He watched the snake carefully, confused until he saw a paper talisman firmly affixed to the back of its neck. It angrily tossed its head back and forth, but Sachiko had strategically placed it in an area where it couldn't easily be shaken off.

"Not bad," he huffed, still breathless.

"That was my last one."

He frowned. "Okay." He paused and staggered unsteadily to his feet. "Get out of here. I'll finish it off."

"What!?" She cast a worrying glance at the Basilisk. Luckily for them, the demon had never come into contact with any type of talisman before, and it took an inordinate amount of time for it to realize struggling wouldn't remove the paper. "Let me help you!"

"Don't worry about me," he flashed her a reassuring grin. "I'm the best exorcist in the world, remember?"

"This isn't funny, Rin!"

The Basilisk stopped its futile thrashing, shaking its head in an attempt to clear its mind. "There's no time to argue—just go!" He held up his sword, blade lit with fresh flames.

"Let me help!"

" _Go_!" He snapped, causing her to take a step back.

The demon straightened itself and fixed its furious gaze on Rin. The talisman had weakened it considerably, and its movements were languid and uncoordinated. One well-aimed strike would finish it off. All he had to do now was focus.

"Come on!"

It complied and lunged.

But not at Rin.

To his horror, it slithered right past him.

And coiled its long, furry body around a defenseless Sachiko.


	5. Chapter 5

Sachiko's powers are revealed! Anyway I want to thank everyone for following the story so far. I really appreciate it!

* * *

A distant, resonating roar made the two pause. Bon looked up from his work, brow scrunched in concern. "Did you hear that?" He glanced at Takara, who merely shrugged his shoulders and continued down the corridor. Bon considered following, but a nagging sensation at the back of his mind made him stop. "I'm going to go check it out." He turned away without waiting for a response.

Deeper in the abandoned hospital, Rin struggled to finish off the Basilisk King. Despite being weakened by the talisman, it was still surprisingly agile. Each time he found an opening and attempted to bring his sword down on its head, the snake wiggled back and held Sachiko up between them, forcing Rin to either stop mid-swing or change the angle of his attack. He was determined not to let it escape, but his flurry of futile attacks was quickly exhausting him. There was little he could do as long as it continued to use Sachiko as a shield. Why hadn't she run when he told her to?

"Rin, stop!" Sachiko finally managed to catch her breath after being whisked through the air for the umpteenth time. "I can do this by myself!" (That is, if she wasn't being nauseatingly tossed back and forth.)

He ignored her words and, frustrated, lunged into another blind attack. "Hang on, Sachi!" She screamed as the Basilisk maneuvered her to block the sword again. Rin cursed. "Let her go!"

"Okumura! Sachiko!" The three of them flinched and whirled around, surprised to find Bon and Takara at the other end of the hall. Bon skidded to a stop when he saw that the Basilisk King held Sachiko captive with its body.

The puppet on Takara's hand let out a short, sadistic laugh. "A bird trapped by a snake? How ironic!"

Bon shot him a disquieting glare before turning back to Rin. "Okumura, you idiot! Why didn't you call for help!?"

He seemed angered by that question. "I'm not going to let Yukio take half my pay!"

The snake growled anxiously, interrupting their meaningless conversation. It glanced from Bon to Rin and back again, belatedly realizing it was trapped between three exorcists.

The demon's apparent apprehension gave Rin an idea. "Use your talismans to distract it!" He gestured wildly to the bag in Bon's hand.

The Basilisk King heaved its vile, furry body around and repeatedly shook its head, groggy and disorientated. Though clearly weak, it was still dangerous, and Bon wasn't about to take any chances. He attached a talisman to the end of the metal stick Takara had and used it to divert the snake's deadly gaze. The prongs that pierced the paper broke the printed seal and made the talisman completely worthless, but, thankfully, the demon didn't know that. "Hey! Look what I got!"

It cringed back in fear as Bon jabbed the air with the stick and instinctively moved a whimpering Sachiko in front of it, trying to use her to block the talisman.

This was the exact opportunity Rin needed.

But before he could even raise his sword, something bright and orange flickered to life on Sachiko's chest. He hesitated, immediately recognizing the way the light moved.

It was fire. Not a blue, demonic fire like his, but a normal, everyday flame.

That is, until it seemed to _explode_ outward.

In an instant, the fire that was a mere flicker became an uncontrolled blaze that consumed both Sachiko and the Basilisk King. The snake flailed violently and shrieked in pain, but nothing it did could snuff out the flames. It was almost as if the fire was glued onto its body.

"Sachiko!" Rin tried to reach her, but the flames were too hot even for him. All he could do was watch helplessly as the two were quickly reduced to a large pile of clumpy, black ash.

The hospital hallway was gripped by an eerie silence that could only be matched for sheer intensity by the awe of the three exwires staring at a pile of ash that was once a giant snake.

Bon was the first to speak, his voice a strange mixture of horror and amazement. "Did... Did _you_ do that!?"

Rin was horribly offended. Not because of Bon's obviously incorrect accusation, mind you, but because him having Satan's _blue_ flames was the sole reason he was struggling to pass the Exorcist Exam in the first place.

"It was the girl, you idiots!" They turned back to Takara. "She's a phoenix!"

"A phoenix?" Bon raised a brow at him incredulously. "How do you know that?"

The puppet let out an exaggerated snort. "It was obvious to anyone with half a brain."

"Psst, Bon." Rin nudged him with an elbow. "I don't get it—what's a phoenix?"

Bon blinked in disbelief. "It's a demonic bird species that can be reborn from its ashes."

"Reborn...?"

"Watch and learn, dimwit." Takara's rabbit seemed to sneer at them.

Ignoring the puppet's blatant insult, (the exwires were used to it by now), Rin turned his attention to the pool of ash. As if on cue, small, orange embers sparked to life and a hand with sporadic patches of gray fur emerged from somewhere beneath the ash. Sachiko stood from the pile, appearing exactly as she had before the fire consumed her—even her clothes had reformed perfectly.

"Wow!" Rin gaped at her, partly out of astonishment and partly out of relief. "Sachi, that was awesome!"

"I-it was? I was just...trying to help." She lowered her eyes with a slight blush and fidgeted with her skirt, brushing off bits of the Basilisk King's ashes.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Bon asked.

"I thought everyone would think I was weird..."

"No way! You gotta teach me how to do that!" Rin reached out to grab her, and immediately jerked back. "H-hot!"

"Sorry!" She covered her mouth to hide a giggle.

A sharp whistle grabbed everyone's attention. Shura stood at the end of the long hallway, arms crossed against her chest. "Are you four having a tea party? Your two hours are up. C'mon." She paused and scrunched her nose in disgust at the large pile of ash decorating the floor. "What did you do?" She aimed the question at Rin.

"Me!?" He scoffed. "What makes you think this was my fault!?"

Bon picked up his bag of talismans. "Because it was."

"What!?" Rin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You weren't even here to see what happened!"

Shura grinned. "Alright, we can all agree this was Rin's fault. Now, let's go."

Rin followed them back to the main entrance, grumbling obscenities under his breath. Sachiko trailed behind the group, her expression distant and thoughtful.

* * *

"Yes!" Rin held up an envelope stuffed with money and pranced around in his excitement. "Ten thousand yen!"

Unlike the other exwires, who were all equally ecstatic about receiving such a generous amount of money, Sachiko sat away from the group on a broken, concrete slab in the parking lot. She stared down at her feet, absentmindedly fidgeting with a red, feathery fan she had pulled out of her bag. There was something in her eyes, distant and sad, that she had carried with her ever since she reformed from the ash. No one else had yet to notice her extreme and uncharacteristically quiet change. Bon was, apparently, the only one unconcerned with money to notice.

"Good work today, Suguro." Yukio handed him an envelope with his name neatly printed on one side.

"Thanks." Bon casually shoved it into his back pocket and walked away. He passed Shima, shooing him off with a wave of his hand, and meandered over to Sachiko. "Do you mind?" He gestured to the empty space beside her.

She glanced up just long enough to give him a faint smile. "I'm still trying to cool off."

"S'alright." He sat next to her without hesitation. "So... How ya feeling?"

"I'm fine now. Thanks."

They sat in silence for a while, watching the others chat amiably about future purchases. Bon rubbed the back of his neck nervously, struggling to come up with something to say. He didn't know how to talk to girls, let alone girls that were also part demon. Should he say something witty to make her laugh? Or talk about school to take her mind off whatever was bothering her? He sighed heavily—he was never good at this kind of thing.

"Um, y'know..." he started slowly, still uncertain, "my dad's familiar is a Karura. I'm not the type that likes demons but...they're pretty cool."

Sachiko finally stopped fidgeting and looked up. "I'm not really a Karura. My species is a lot..." she hesitated, searching for the right word, "simpler. But, thanks." She smiled softly. "I'm glad you like phoenixes."

"Y-yeah." He blushed lightly and turned away. Sachiko let out a small laugh at his reaction. "What? What's so funny?"

"You're just like Rin!" She spoke between giggles.

His cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. "D-don't compare me to him!"

She calmed down and flashed him a bright, wistful smile. "My sister would love you."

It was then that Rin conveniently noticed them sitting together. He clenched his fists—he didn't like the idea of them talking alone. After all, _he_ was Sachiko's Basilisk partner, not Bon.

"You have a sister?" Bon asked, oblivious to Rin's jealous glare.

"An older sister. She thinks it's hilarious to tease people until their faces turn red."

He grinned. "Like you?"

She laughed again. "Maybe just a little."

"Hey!" The two jolted upright, startled by Rin's sudden presence. He squeezed himself between them on the concrete slab and wrapped his arms around Sachiko and Bon's shoulders. "What are you guys talking about?"

Bon growled at him. "None of your business, Okumura!"

Rin frown with mock surprise. "It's totally my business! We're all friends here, right Sachi?"

"Of course, Rin." She didn't seem at all bothered by his rude interruption.

Bon leaned back slightly, trying to maneuver around Rin to talk to Sachiko. "Where is your—" He was cut off by Rin's furry tail smacking him directly in the mouth. "Okumura!" He grabbed the demon's wiggling appendage, but it refused to remain still. "Get this thing out of my face!"

Rin shrugged innocently. "It's got a mind of its own." Bon glowered dangerously at him.

Sachiko covered her mouth with a hand, doing her best to keep from laughing. Whatever had bothered her before had completely vanished from her mind. "What were you trying to ask me, Bon?"

He tossed Rin's tail aside with a flick of his wrist. "Where is your sister? Do you live together?"

"Well, she's not my _real_ sister," she corrected, fidgeting with her hands again. "We grew up in the temple together and had the same responsibilities, so we always saw each other as siblings."

"What's her name again?" Rin asked.

"Fenghuang."

Bon hummed in thought. "Isn't that the name of a Chinese bird that can change colors?"

"Yes!" She seemed excited to find someone who knew about Huang.

"Whoa, your sister can change colors?" Sachiko nodded. "That's awesome! I wish Yukio could do that. Maybe it would make his classes more interesting."

"I heard that, Nii-san."

Rin hissed. "Shut up—you didn't hear anything!" He turned back to Sachiko. "What colors can she change into?"

"Um, let's see...black, white, yellow...green, I think..." her voice trailed off. "I can't remember all of them, but her favorite was always red." She held up the fan and opened it, revealing a row of beautiful red feathers with white and yellow splotches. "She made this for me before I left."

Recognition flashed across Rin's face at the sight of it, and an icy chill ran down his spine, churning his insides. "Sachi... That... Those feathers..." An unbearable sinking sensation in his stomach kept him from speaking clearly.

She frowned at his sudden change in demeanor. "What's wrong?" Bon, too, looked at Rin, concerned.

Rin wanted to punch himself. He was so stupid. How could he forget something so important?

Absentmindedly, he picked up his sword's cloth carrying case and unzipped a long pocket on its side. Slowly, as if afraid to damage it, he pulled out the red feather and held it out to her. Sachiko lifted her hand and accepted it, the gesture tentative and feeble. She could do little but stare at it with uncomfortable, distracted eyes.

"I..." he paused and swallowed hard. "She was badly injured and...passed away by our dorm." He spoke calmly and sensitively, trying to lessen the pain of his words. "I'm so sorry, Sachiko."

Her bottom lip trembled and warm tears swelled in her eyes. The feather in her hand became a blurry mess and her chest constricted as she struggled to breathe. She opened her mouth to ask him what had happened, but the words wouldn't form. Regret and guilt swarmed in her mind until the entire world was spinning around her.

Huang...only one of two people to accept her without a doubt. Huang...her only friend as a child. Huang...the only person who kept her going when she wanted to throw everything away.

She was dead; gone forever. And it was all her fault.

Both girls knew something like this would happen if Sachiko left; but, Huang was so eager for her to get out and explore the world that it seemed rude for her to protest. Like always, she kept her mouth shut and ran away from her responsibilities, from her village, and from Huang.

And now she's...

If only Sachiko had listened to the priests. If only she had stayed behind. If only she had gone into the cavern when her turn came. If only she wasn't such a coward.

Then maybe...

"H-Huang..." She managed to choke out a single sad word before she finally decided to completely smother everything she felt. She shoved all of her emotions into the back of her mind—now wasn't the time.

"S-she's a phoenix, right?" Rin stuttered. "So she'll come back...won't she?"

Sachiko covered her mouth and forced back a sob. "We can't... We're not strong enough. We can only come back if we die by our own flames." She paused and took a few uncertain, deep breaths to calm herself. "Did she... Did she say anything?"

He chewed the inside of his lip as he thought. "She was looking for someone named Aaron?"

"Haren," she corrected. She had made Huang promise to use the name 'Haren' if she ever needed to find her in True Cross.

"That's it. Do you know him?"

"...I know him." Her voice trembled.

"She also said something about an open door."

Everything changed in that one instant. A sharp twist of horror and dread replaced all the numb sadness she felt. Whatever she was thinking showed clearly on her face.

Rin wasn't the only person concerned by her expression. "Sachiko, what's going on? What door is he talking about?" Bon asked, a hint of trepidation in his words.

She ignored him and stood. "I... I have to go." She snapped herself out of her daze and suddenly began gathering her belongings with incessant fervor.

"Sachi?" Rin scooped up her bag for her. "What's wrong?"

"I have to go." She frantically grabbed the strap of her bag.

"Go where?" He refused to release it.

She gave it a jerk, becoming increasingly annoyed with him. "I have to go back home."

"Why?" His voice was firm. "Tell me what's happening!"

"Just let me go!" With inhuman strength, she snatched the bag out of his hand and turned to walk away.

Rin followed on her heels. "You can't be serious, Sachiko! They'll lock you up with that thing! It'll kill you!" She did her best to ignore him and quickened her pace. But he wouldn't let her leave. "Let me help!"

"No."

"Sachiko!" He grabbed her shoulders and whirled her around.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed the words, earning the attention of the other exwires.

He didn't listen to her. "Sachi, snap out of it!" He held her firmly in place, forcing them to make eye contact. "Remember we said we would go there together?"

"L-let me go!"

"You are _not_ going alone!" She flinched at his voice and stared at him with wide, astonished eyes—whatever she had seen in his expression had completely wiped away her irritation. "I know you feel like everyone hates you and is disgusted by you, but look around! We care about you! What's it going to take to get that through your head!?"

"Rin, please..." She faltered at the desperation in his eyes. He was right, she wasn't alone here. But how could she ask them for help? This was her job, her duty, and nothing—not even her friends—could change that. "This is my fight." She spoke softly, barely a whisper.

"You don't have to fight it by yourself."

"Alright, that's enough." Shura pried the two apart. "What's this about a bird and a door?"

Belatedly, Sachiko realized they were surrounded by the other exwires. She had no choice but to explain herself. "At my village is an ancient demon we've kept sealed behind a stone door. Huang—the bird—was in charge of maintaining the seals that keep it closed. With her..." She stopped herself, a lump suddenly forming in her throat. "Now that the door is unprotected, the demon will eventually break the seals and escape. I can't let that happen." She looked up at Shura. "I've been preparing my whole life to keep that door closed. I have to go back."

" _We_ can't let that happen," she corrected with a smile.

"H-huh?" Sachiko stared at her, dumbfounded.

"It's an exorcist's job to help people, right?" Her smile stretched into a playful smirk. "Besides, this Basilisk mission was boring."

"Sachi! I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'm coming with you!" The determination in Shiemi's eyes was enough to rival Rin's. "You're not going to do this alone!"

Izumo sighed loudly. "I guess I'll go too."

"Well, if Kamiki's going, I'm going." Izumo glared at Shima, but he merely winked at her.

"See, Sachi? Everyone wants to help you." The bright expression on Rin's face almost made her lose it.

Bon held up his money filled envelope. "I'll pay for bus tickets."

"No need, Suguro." Yukio approached them, pocketing his phone. "Sir Pheles said he'll provide transportation for us in the morning."

"B-But... I... Th-thank you!" Sachiko barely had a chance to mutter her gratitude before the sobs wracked her body. She dropped her bag and covered her face, ashamed of the sounds she was making. Try as she might, she couldn't stop—all the sadness, the frustration, the guilt...it just kept coming. All too quickly, she had been reduced to a crying mess. Shiemi pulled her into a comforting hug and, desperate for something to latch onto, Sachiko leaned into her.

"Rin, you made her cry!" Shura glared at him disapprovingly.

" _What_!? Why do you always blame _me_ for everything!?"

In the midst of her crying, Sachiko laughed loudly, the sound unmistakable and, apparently, contagious.


	6. Chapter 6

My little lizard wanted to tell me what he thought of this chapter and so he pooped on the original paper manuscript. It was horrifying trying to type this... But I still love him even if he hates my stories heehee xoxo

* * *

Sachiko's tiny, unassuming village proved to be a far tougher challenge to reach than anyone could've expected. First, they had to sit on the highway for almost an hour. Then, they had to follow a worn, dirt road through a traditional-town-turned-tourist-attraction, then turn onto a narrow country road, (then turn around because they originally went the wrong way), _then_ drive along an even _smaller_ road that precariously wrapped around the mountain.

If that wasn't bad enough, the village sat between the lush mountain and a grassy hill, completely obscuring it from view. The only indicator it was there at all was an old sign buried in a foot of weeds on the side of the road. Had Sachiko not been there to direct the driver, he would've passed the turnoff without a second thought. The road (if you could call it that) leading up to the village was covered in uneven gravel, forcing Rin to hang on to the seat in front of him as the bus was jolted around.

The entire ride took just over three hours, and the exwires were exhausted from boredom by the time they finally arrived.

But if they were looking for something interesting, they wouldn't find it here. Everything looked _old_. The shinto gates that were still standing were weathered and worn, with large chunks of paint missing in various places. The dilapidated buildings were held together with decaying wood and sheets of metal, (though some parts did appear newer than others, like the houses had been rebuilt in sections.)

There was a modest little hotel on the left, a grocery store, a farm with a barn, four or five small houses...

And that was it.

According to Sachiko, the village had been built after the demon was discovered almost three thousand years ago. It started with the temple, and eventually expanded to include the few buildings it had now. Most of the structures, however, seemed out of place—obviously the monks had to be provided for, so the barn and the store made sense; but why the hotel? Why the houses? Were people actually raising families here? Who would want their child to grow up in such a deserted place? There wasn't even a school.

Rin glanced around incredulously as the group entered the village. Unused to having guests, the entire population (about twenty people) abandoned their daily chores to see what kind of delinquents had arrived on such a noisy bus.

A cool breeze slipped through the silence, brushing Rin's tousled hair. His brow furrowed in suspicion as he eyed the residents. He didn't travel outside of True Cross Town much; but even with what little experience he did have with traveling, he could tell these people weren't concerned with being decent hosts.

There was something else bothering him—something he couldn't quite figure out. And it was making him uneasy.

Belatedly, Rin realized there were no children. But it wasn't just children they were missing—there were no babies, no teenagers, no young adults...everyone was middle aged or older. It was possible they had all moved away, but, remembering what Sachiko said about offerings made him think differently.

A sickening sensation made his stomach churn.

A confident, larger woman with an apron stepped forward, arms crossed tightly against her chest. "I think you kids took a wrong turn."

Yukio, patient as ever, gave her a warm smile. "Actually, we're here to help you with your demon problem."

She scoffed, unwavering. "We don't need your help."

"Um..." Sachiko meekly emerged from her hiding spot behind Yukio.

" _You_!" The glare the older woman shot her was so livid it silenced whatever she was trying to say. "How _dare_ you show your face here after what you've done!"

Sachiko flinched back and began to fidget. She had never felt so small before, so vulnerable, so afraid. She wanted to say something to explain her absence, but the words wouldn't form. She was churning inside with emotions she hadn't shifted through yet, and the guilt made it impossible for her to think clearly. She feared she would cry again, embarrassing everyone around her.

Rin immediately came to her rescue. "Look, lady," he began, almost furious, "we're not here for you. And we're not here for your stupid demon either. We're here for her. So just let us do what we came here to do and we'll get out of your hair."

"You're here because of Haren?" She held back a laugh. "Goodness, what made up story did you tell these poor kids?"

"I..." She hesitated briefly, but then swallowed her fear. She wasn't the same cowardly girl she was when she left her village and now was the time to prove it. If not to them, then to herself. She took a deep breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was confident. "I didn't make up anything. They're here to help us...so no one has to be locked up again."

"Is that so?" They looked up to find a frail, old man descending the temple stairs. He had a thick, white beard and leaned on a short, wooden cane. He was accompanied by a young man, (probably the youngest in the village), with neat, black hair and a surprisingly muscular build. "What do you go by now? Sachiko, was it?"

Shame and regret suddenly smothered all of her courage. She stepped back and lowered her head, embarrassed. She had expected the head priest to talk to her, and likely humiliate her while he was at it, but not in front of Rin like this. She didn't know what to say.

Yukio saw the discomfort in her and stepped forward to act as a distraction. "Good afternoon." He introduced himself with a slight bow, digging his license out of his pocket. "I am an exorcist from True Cross. I believe my students and I are more than capable of helping you find a solution for the demon. Do you mind if I have a look inside your temple?" His words were saturated with such politeness it made Rin want to vomit.

"The Order decides to send an exorcist _now_ after all this time?" The head priest glanced dismissively at his badge. "Why did you bring these people here with you?" He directed the question at Sachiko.

She faltered under his disapproving glare. "I thought that...maybe they could help..."

"You know what will happen to them," he said firmly. "Huang was the closest thing we had to an exorcist and she didn't stand a chance when it decided it had enough of her." Sachiko winced at his words—they hurt more than he could've known. "Sending a group into the cavern will only enrage it. You are dooming them. These people will share Huang's fate."

She fidgeted, her legs trembling beneath her.

"If you truly wish to stop this monster, then you know what you must do."

"I don't believe that's necessary," Yukio urged, earning a livid glance from the older man. "If I could just—"

"Your superiors refused to help us when we needed it, so we came up with our own solution." He pointed his cane at Sachiko. "Haren is our permanent solution."

"Permanent?" Rin frowned at her, (he seemed to be doing that a lot lately), his eyebrows pulled up in a way that looked sad and worried. She was too distraught to move. What was she hiding from him?

He continued to speak to Sachiko. "I will have the room prepared for you. It should be ready in a few hours." He returned his attention to Yukio. "You and your students may stay the night. If you know what's best for you, you'll be gone come morning." With that, he turned and shambled his way back up the broken steps.

"The inn is over there." The younger priest nodded to the nicest-looking building in the village. "That nasty, old crone with the apron will be your hostess." He gave Yukio a bright smile. "Enjoy your stay." He quickly followed his master back to the temple.

"Hey, get back here!" Rin snarled. Yukio caught him before he could do anything drastic. "Let me go! I'm gonna give that old fart a piece of my mind!"

"Later, Rin." Yukio turned back to the rest of the exwires. "We've got time. We can figure something out by morning. For now, we should relax and get something to eat."

They couldn't argue with that—an hour's worth of rest would do everyone some good, especially after such a terrible bus ride.

"C'mon." With a haughty huff, the apron woman gestured for them to follow. "I'll show you lot to your rooms."

* * *

The inn was far nicer on the inside than it was on the outside. Rin expected it to smell musty and stuffy, but the scent was actually very clean. The entrance had comfortable places to sit, a vending machine, and brochures outlining the history of the temple, (did they really get that many visitors?) There was even a decorative vase with fresh flowers in the corridor to their rooms.

Needless to say, the interior of the inn was a pleasant change from the dreary, broken-down appearance of the village.

The rooms themselves were plain, with no decorations or variation in color. Still, the exwires were happy to have somewhere to talk in private.

"Who do these people think they are!?" Rin bit into his sandwich ravenously, taking his frustration out on the poor thing. "No wonder you left," he said, mouth full. "This place sucks!"

Sachiko ignored him, and instead continued to stare quietly at the unopened red bean bun in front of her, head bowed low, shoulders hunched forward, hands fidgeting mindlessly. She soon stopped listening to the exwire's discussion, letting their voices become little more than a hum in the background.

 _You are dooming them. These people will share Huang's fate._

Try as she might, she couldn't get those words out of her head. She repeated them over and over to herself, until she was convinced this was all a huge mistake. If the demon had injured Huang to the point where she couldn't regenerate her body, then what would it do to Rin? What would it do to Shiemi or Bon, who didn't have demonic powers to protect them? Was Sachiko really willing to let her friends get hurt for her sake?

No, of course not. If any of them were injured, or _worse_... She would never be able to forgive herself.

But, at the same time, she didn't want to go back to the temple, to the trapped life she had been so eager to leave. She wanted to return to True Cross, to play games with Rin, to study with Bon, to gorge on sweets with Shiemi, to get beauty tips from Izumo. Was she being selfish by thinking this way?

Shura ripped her from her thoughts with a gentle nudge. "How long has the village been trying to get the Order's help?"

Being thrown back into their conversation so suddenly almost made her lightheaded. "Um..." It took a moment for her to pull herself together. The others waited patiently. "I don't know... Since before I was born, I think." She spoke softly and continued to stare at her hands. "They've denied all our requests because we're too poor to afford the expenses. That's why... I thought..." She couldn't finish.

Yukio smiled softly at her. "You thought you could learn how to deal with it on your own at True Cross." She nodded tentatively, refusing to meet his gaze. "So, that means we need a way inside the temple." He rested a chin on his closed fist contemplatively.

"Any ideas, Sachi?" Rin turned to her.

"What are you going to do when you find it?"

"Kill it, duh. I already told you." His answer seemed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Her head snapped up to him. She had thought that was just a joke. "But what if it hurts you?"

He scoffed. "It won't hurt me as much as I'll hurt it."

"How can you say that!?" She was visibly upset now. "I've seen what it can do! It will hurt you!" She turned to face the others. "Father was right—it will _kill_ all of you!"

How could she have been so selfish? Why couldn't she see this before she had dragged them here? It would've been so much easier if she had come alone.

Before their conversation could go any further, the hostess unceremoniously barged into their room without so much as a knock. "Haren! Stop bothering our guests," she scolded. "And go hang the laundry before you leave." The door slammed heavily behind her as she left.

A tense, overbearing silence filled the space between them. Sachiko stood slowly, her legs trembling. "...I have to go." She sounded almost as miserable as she looked.

"Sachi, you don't have to..." Rin was at a loss for words.

She tried to smile at him, but it didn't come out right. "I'll be back in a bit." She left quickly, thankful for a chance to break away from them—she desperately needed to be alone to think.

"Sachi, wait!" Shiemi scrambled to her feet and followed.

Rin turned back to his brother, despondent. "What are we supposed to do?"

"We'll figure something out." Yukio tried to reassure him.

"...I'm gonna go help them." Rin stood and quietly left the room.

Lost in his thoughts, Rin rounded the corridor to the entrance room and bumped into the young priest from earlier. He let out a yelp of surprise and stumbled back. "S-sorry!"

He didn't acknowledge Rin's apology. "Good—I've been looking for you."

"Huh?" He glanced around, but he was the only one there. "You mean me?"

"I have a present for you." He pulled a gilded key out of his sleeve and handed it to Rin.

He raised a brow at it. "What's this for?"

"This will unlock Sachiko's room door." He spoke with a lithe, carefree smile that reminded Rin of Mephisto. "There's a pair of loose boards near a maple tree at the back of the temple. Exit the chamber, turn left, and follow the lit candles. Turn down the first hallway you see. If you start to see any doors, you've gone too far. It should be a straight path from there."

Rin couldn't understand a single thing this guy was saying. "A...straight path?"

"To Moloch."

"M-Moloch?"

"...The demon."

"Oh!"

The priest frowned slightly. "You don't sound like an exorcist."

"Hey!" he snarled. "I'm still in training!"

His amiable smile was instantly back. "Then I hope these experiences help enrich your life." He turned to leave.

But Rin stopped him. "Wait! Who are you? Why are you helping me?"

"My name is Deus Ex Machina." The man gave him a playful wink. "I go where ever I am needed." Rin didn't get it and continued to stare at him with a bewildered expression. "I should mention," he nodded to the key in Rin's hand. "Only you can use that. Don't bring any of your exorcist friends with you."

"What? Why?"

His smile broadened in response. "If you're looking for Sachiko, you should head out that door. It's faster than going around to the back." He pointed.

Rin followed his finger to a nondescript door behind him. When he turned back, the young priest was gone. "Wha...?" He glanced around the lobby, and even checked the corridor, but he was alone. He stared down at the small key in his hand, suspicious. "What a weirdo."

* * *

A moment later, Rin joined the girls in the back and began digging through a large basket overflowing with clean sheets. He worked quietly, shaking the wrinkles out before passing them on to Shiemi, who struggled with Sachiko to pin them on the high wire.

After about ten minutes, Shiemi meekly broke the silence. "Um, Sachi? What's this demon like?"

"It eats the insides of children and rips their souls from their bodies. It can spit poison and breathe fire. It has a third hand the size of a person and sharp, long claws. Its strong enough to grind rocks into sand." These were all just rumors, of course—Sachiko had never actually seen proof of any of these things—but if she made it sound scary enough, maybe they would leave.

"That doesn't sound too bad." Rin gave her a cheerful smile. His reckless optimism was beginning to annoy her.

"It doesn't," Shiemi nodded in agreement. "We'll be fine, Sachi."

"But... But—!"

"But this, but that." Bon surprised her by snatching the sheet out of her hand and pinning it onto the line with ease. "You need to take a lesson from Okumura and stop worrying so much."

"But—"

He cut her off with a sharp glare. "You act like this demon is the worst thing in the world. We've handled stupidly powerful monsters before—we'll just do the same with this one."

"It...it killed Huang." She spoke the words softly to herself, but Bon still heard her.

He frowned sympathetically at her. "It won't kill us. Besides, if a few paper seals are enough to keep it locked up, then it should be a cinch to exorcise."

Sachiko pressed her lips together, swallowing another protest. There was so much they didn't understand. But, even if they knew everything there was to know, would anything change? No. Rin would still try to help her—they all would.

So what should she do?

The answer seemed obvious to her: fulfill her duty and let them continue their lives without her.

But then...

Why was that decision so hard for her to accept?


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone! Short update this time. I split this from the previous chapter because I wanted this scene to be by itself. Thank you so very much for reading up to this point! I really means a lot to me and I do hope you like the story so far~

A guest asked me if this will have any pairings. I don't really know how to respond so I'll do it here: No, Bound by Embers will not have any romance. There is a reason for this, and I'll talk about it more once the story is over. But, if I do write more and include a pairing, who would you like to see with Sachiko? Rin or Bon or another character? I'm looking forward to your response xoxo

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Sachiko refused to talk to anyone for the remainder of the day, and night steadily approached. Yukio had spoken to a number of the residents privately, but all of them had refused to offer any kind of assistance. It seemed there was no way into the temple without breaking down the front door. Rin debated telling him about the key he had, but eventually decided to wait. If nothing happened by morning, he would hand it over to Yukio and they would sneak in through the back.

Rin went to bed with the others, exhausted from his stressful day. Unfortunately, he didn't stay asleep for long.

He awoke in the middle of the night to a quiet room, faint moonlight peeking in through a crack in the curtains. He rolled over with a sigh and let his mind wander idly for a moment, hoping sleep would take him back. But, after what felt like an eternity, he found himself fully awake and alert. There was too much going on in his mind for him to relax.

He sat up and stretched. Maybe a short walk through the chilly night air would clear his head.

It was then Rin noticed a folded sheet of paper beside his pillow. He opened it, and his heart sank when he recognized the handwriting.

 _Rin,  
_ _I truly can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. These past few weeks have been the happiest time of my life and I promise you I will never forget them.  
_ _I realize what I am doing is no way to repay you for your friendship, but I can't see you get hurt. I have to do this. Alone. For Huang. And for you, too.  
_ _By the time you read this, I will have already been sealed in the chamber.  
_ _Please don't come after me. I need to know that you're alive. I need to know you've continued to live your life and make other people happy. So please, please, if you care about me at all, you'll leave and never come back.  
I'm sorry I did this to you. Have a good life.  
_ _Sachiko_

Rin cursed under his breath. In the back of his mind, he knew something like this was bound to happen. Damn it, why hadn't he done more to stop her?

But now wasn't the time—he had to get to Sachiko before she did something stupid.

Without a second thought, he snatched his sword from its resting spot beside his bag and left, leaving the door wide open behind him. He flew up the temple stairs, taking them two at a time, (and somehow managed not to trip over the large cracks.) The front doors were strangely unguarded, but he decided to ignore them and ran around to the side.

The temple was nestled tightly in the shadow of the mountain, the back of it disappearing into a natural opening in the rock. Uninterested in any details, he turned his attention to the trees, glancing at each as he struggled to find the maple the priest had mentioned. He found it rather quickly, its gnarled roots leaning against the abrupt curve of the mountain.

With deft movements, he pulled the key out of the cloth case's pocket, tossed it aside, and began prodding the building's boards with his sword. Each failed attempt made him more frantic until he was practically hammering the sheathe against the wood. Soon enough, one of the boards wiggled unnaturally as it was poked. He pulled it off its rusted nails and peeked in. The space was just big enough for him to fit.

Rin shoved his sword inside first and crawled in after it. Another tight squeeze through a loose panel in the wall, and he found himself in a small, yet spacious room.

The first thing he noticed was that the ceiling was too low, (he banged his head on it trying to stand.) The room was surprisingly dark, the only source of light a small, barred window above the panel he had broken. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness. When they finally did, he noticed there was only one real piece of furniture: a tiny table that was only a few inches from the floor. It was covered with half-burned candles and a collection of books and newspapers. Off to the side was a messy pile of blankets that he assumed was a bed, and in the nearby corner sat a large group of cleaning supplies.

The door was short, barely half the height of a regular door, and was decorated with an ornate, silver lock in the center. He fumbled with the key and shoved it into the lock. It clicked approvingly.

Rin pushed the door, grateful for a reprieve from his awkward, half-crouched position, but it wouldn't move. He used both hands, but still the hinges refused. "Damn it, c'mon!" He balanced unsteadily on his knees, took a breath to prepare himself, and then bashed the small door with his shoulder.

Immediately, something shocked him, sending him stumbling back into the room with a pained yelp. He cursed and sat upright, cradling his throbbing shoulder. Of _course_ they had sealed the door—this entire place was going to be covered with seals from floor to ceiling.

He wasn't about to let that stop him.

Rin crawled out of the room and drew his sword. The corridor, already faintly lit by candles lining the walls, brightened as his blue flames flickered to life. It was a stupid thing to do—if any of the priests saw him it would most likely start a riot in the village—but the extra power he received would be more than enough to burn away any weak seals. Besides, he needed to save his energy for the demon.

Recalling the young priest's directions, Rin followed the candles down a curved hallway. He moved cautiously, pausing every time he heard something that sounded human. Thankfully, the temple seemed empty, and soon he found himself descending into a natural cave system. The ceiling here was criss-crossed by sacred rope with paper talismans hanging from them. They burned quickly as he passed, becoming nothing more than flecks of ash on the ground behind him.

He tried not to think about what would happen to the village if the demon got out and these seals weren't here to stop it.

The narrow hall eventually opened up to a massive, man-made chamber. Two viewing platforms were carved into the rock at different levels, surrounding a deep pit on three sides. Across from him, at the very bottom of the pit, was a single door almost as tall as the lowest viewing platform. Candles and paper lanterns lined the walls, bathing the cavern in an eerie, yellow glow.

Rin walked to the edge and looked down. Even from here, he could feel the demon's presence on the other side of the door. Its anger reverberated heavily in his chest, hot and animalistic. It knew he was there, and it knew what he meant to do. Just like the Basilisk King, it would do anything to protect itself. This was a warning—if he came any closer, it would attack.

Rin's ears popped as he slid down the ladders on the sides of the platforms. He stopped in front of the door, boldly ignoring the demon's increasing agitation. It was covered with layer after layer of old, burned talismans; previous attempts to stop the demon. He pressed a palm to the door, burning away the newest layer. The ink was still wet, and his hand was stained when he pulled back.

The stone door was ridiculously heavy. Even with his demonic strength, Rin could only open it enough for him to squeeze through. His flames flooded the inner chamber with blue light.

"Sachiko?"

The chamber was bigger than he expected, but not by much. It was completely empty: no candles, no seals, no furniture, nothing. The only source of light came from a pair of slightly ajar doors on the other side of the room. Red light peeked through the gap, shifting slightly, almost like fire. Rin brightened his own flames and stepped forward.

Sachiko was hung up by three chains in front of the double doors. A chain looped around each of her arms, disappearing into perfectly cut holes on either side of the door. The last was wrapped around her midsection and vanished into the middle where the doors parted. This one was pull taut, squeezing her lungs and just barely giving her enough slack to breathe without too much difficulty. Under her thin, traditional attire, her entire body was covered with glowing marks—seals the priest had etched into her skin before she was hanged. He had never seen them before until now, but her feet and ankles were bird-like, with three forward-facing toes and clipped talons.

 _This_ is what the head priest had meant when he said Sachiko was a permanent solution. And with her regenerative abilities... She was a living seal that couldn't die.

She didn't seem surprised to see him and smiled sadly as he approached. "I told you not to come here. I didn't want you to see me like this..."

Rin couldn't respond, stunned speechless by the sight.

Seeing her there, expression solemn and distant, reminded him too much of when the other exwires had first discovered his flames. The shame and regret he had felt back then knowing he had betrayed their trust was almost more than he could handle. And now he was facing it again—how he failed to free Sachiko from the Basilisk King, how he failed to tell her immediately of Huang's death, and how he failed to stop her from ending up here.

Could he do anything right?

He swallowed the lump in his throat, but it did nothing to alleviate the pain constricting his chest. He wanted to scream.

Before he could recollect his thoughts and chastise her for keeping secrets, the demon roared angrily, throwing its weight against the doors. The chain around her torso went limp, but the ones on her arms snapped back. The two doors struggled to open, but Sachiko's body blocked them. The edges slammed into her shoulder blades, pushing her forward, while the chains on her arms pulled her apart. Rin could see black fur covered in some kind of metal through the narrow crack. He assumed the chains on Sachiko's body were attached to the demon.

She let out a cry of pain, and then pressed her lips together. She didn't want to show weakness in front of Rin. Blood started trickling down from a rip in her arm. But she was strong, and her body held against the onslaught.

Eventually, the demon gave up, exhausted by the seals covering her. Bloodied and bruised, Sachiko did what she did best. Orange flames flared to life around her, lighting the chamber and reducing her body to a warm pile of ash. Almost instantly, her regenerative powers kicked in, and she stood fully formed from the lingering embers. Her seals reappeared and the chains coiled around her again.

She laughed bitterly. "I was always better at this than Huang."

"This isn't funny!" She looked down at him, surprised by his tone. For the first time, Rin glared at her with outright anger. His hands were balled into tight fists at his sides and he was trembling. He was genuinely terrified for her. "I'm going to get you down from there!"

" _Stop_!" He hesitated. "Rin, listen to me. I was born for this purpose. My parents were specifically chosen to create someone like me. My only duty in life is to keep this door closed. So... _please_ ," her pleading tone tore at his heart. "Please don't take this away from me." As badly as Sachiko wanted him to save her, she couldn't let it happen. She had already made her decision. She wasn't going to run away anymore. She _needed_ to do this, to feel useful, to know that her life up until this point had not been a waste.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" His voice cracked with emotion—sadness, frustration, guilt, regret. "You weren't born to hang here and die everyday!"

"Rin, please understand! My parents—"

"No, I don't understand! Your parents don't get to decide who you are!" There were tears in his eyes. "You're Sachiko! You're my friend! You're the only person who knows what its like being half demon! You're not Haren! You're not a monster! You're not a laundry servant! You're not—" he gesticulated angrily at her, "this! I'm getting you down from there! We're going back to True Cross _together_ and I don't care what anyone says!"

Sachiko sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth, visibly flinching at the bittersweet memories True Cross brought her. Her expression faltered, softened, and Rin thought he saw a ghost of a genuine smile. "You're so kind, Rin. But what's done is done. I can't go back."

"Like hell you can't!" Rin tossed his sword aside and reached up to remove the chain around her chest. Even with his flames lit, the seals on Sachiko started burning his skin. He gritted his teeth against the pain and struggled to get a good grip. After a few unsuccessful attempts, he tried the chain on her arm. This one was even worse—the harder he pulled the tighter it became. He cursed loudly and picked up his sword.

"No, don't!" But he ignored her.

Rin brought the kurikara down hard on the chain around her arm. The blade slipped off easily, not even scratching a link.

The demon roared deeply, furious that someone had tried to touch its chain. It slammed against the door repeatedly, tearing Sachiko's back open. She waited until it was calm before regenerating.

Rin stepped back, frustrated and helpless. He didn't know what to do.

"Just leave."

"N-no!" He didn't want to believe it. There had to be something— _anything_ —he could do. "There has to... I can... I...!"

"I am bound to this door," she explained carefully. "In order to reach it, you have to remove me. Do you understand, Rin? I have to die for you to get to the demon. You can't kill it. There's nothing you can do. So, _please_ , just _leave_." She was desperate. She didn't want to see him risk his life for her. She wasn't worth it.

"Sachiko... I can't leave you like this..."

"It's what I want. Please. I'm begging you." He slowly sheathed his sword, extinguishing his flames. She felt a piercing ache deep in her chest as she watched him. "Thank you for everything, Rin. I will never forget you." She smiled.

Rin turned and ran out of the chamber, leaving Sachiko alone with the demon. She hoped she would never see him again; but hope, as luck would have it, was a fickle thing.


End file.
